I would like to wish you Happy Holidays.
May all your prayers and wishes come true.
I have only one wish for you and it is the wish of health. May you be as healthy as can be. Whether it is mentally and physically.
The gift of health is the greatest gift of all. Without our health, nothing else matters. We can often see in others or we even share for ourselves when we are ill. It’s easy to see when someone has a cold or has a broken foot. What we can’t see in others and we often don’t share about ourselves are the internal struggles we face. Yes, I am talking about mental illness.
There are many levels of mental illness and it can go from feeling uncertain about our lives and experiencing anxiety to a person who is schizophrenic. Unfortunately, when we hear the words mental illness, we might imagine the worst of the two. It’s often not the case.
Last summer, I read a 6-month study report, on mental illness in the workplace conducted by Morneau Shepell and the Globe and Mail. It was conducted in Canada in 2017 and it collected 1575 responses.
Here are some of the findings.
- One in five Canadians experiences a mental health problem or illness within a given year.
- One in two Canadians under the age of 40 will experience a mental health problem or illness by the time they turn 40 years of age.
- These numbers also have a direct impact on the workplace, as every week 500,000 Canadians are unable to work due to mental health problems or illnesses.
Mental health is not a binary outcome. It lies along a continuum and it can change depending on the challenges we face. Canadians manage their mental health on a daily basis as it moves back and forth between good mental health, strained mental health, and mental illness.
The people who took the survey reported that the primary cause of their mental health problem or illness was workplace stress, with depression and anxiety being reported as the top two issues.
They also reported a high level of concern regarding the potential impact of their mental health problem or illness on their career, work experience, and job performance. The majority of employees surveyed reported they believed their mental health problem had or would negatively impact their careers.
It was also found that mental health problems and illnesses were the primary reason for missing work, this can range from missing work for a few days to two or more months.
More than half of the people are able to talk with their family and friends about it and the majority are reaching out to professional in order to manage mental health.
At this point in time, you might feel that you are one of those who are struggling. I want to let you know that you don’t have to face this stress alone. I would like to offer you a complimentary Step into Serenity Session. It’s a no-obligation session that will assist you in an area of your life where you are struggling the most. We will spend 30-40 minutes talking and finding solutions that can empower you to feel more peaceful and serene.
Fill in the form below and share your contact information with me. This is 100% confidential and private.