As the year comes to a close I could write another blog about a key issue that employers face in managing their people - don't worry I have these in the bank to start again with in January! - but instead, thought I could spend a few words raising awareness of the individual/personal issues we have supported workforce with this year, to give some insight and provide some food for thought.
Our approach is two pronged - some call our service EAP but it's not really. Along with providing the traditional support to individuals for any personal problems they are facing (EAP style - it focuses on the individual as the one responsible for addressing the "personal" problem) we also provide expertise in managing workplace psych health and safety, and thus support employers to recognise the way job design, workplace culture or workplace systems may be contributing to individual wellbeing and productivity.
So, a lot of our focus at Wellbalance is on supporting employers to take control of the systems that they can change to improve productivity in the workplace, but nevertheless we have some highly qualified clinicians to address the traditional EAP style problems that, as humans, we all can face whilst we are navigating this thing called life.
Demographic context: I won't give specific numbers here, we don't want anything to be identifiable. But here's some basic information to give you context: We support a number of work places, they are mostly across the health sector and the FMCG industry (a random mix I know). The range of "personal" problems we provide intervention for are equally represented across executive/corporate/professional workforce and operations/service delivery workforce (ie. we don't see any difference in the problems faced by each group, both workforce types face these human problems at the same rates/ratios).
Anxiety. Many people live with anxiety. All of our clients are functioning members of a workforce, but some can be suffering from crippling anxiety and need strategies and support to manage this daily. Others experience anxiety at lower levels, but nevertheless it impacts various aspects of their life and they reach out for support to manage/recover from this.
Alcohol addiction or use. There may be a stereotype in your mind of someone who is "an alcoholic". I can assure you that your stereotype is most probably incorrect. Some people are very high functioning and amazingly resourceful in the strategies they develop to manage an addiction. I admire these people who are courageous in acknowledging their addiction and can seek support to begin recovery. Many others want to talk about their use of alcohol, recognising that they may not be addicted, but they have identified that they want to find a healthier strategy to cope with stress/boredom/fear etc. Alcohol doesn't have to be an addiction to be a problem, often it's about patterns of consumption. For those of you who aren't aware, alcohol also has a direct correlation with anxiety. Over consumption can result in prolonged periods of decline in your mental health.
Identity issues. This can mean a range of things. But at the crux it's about people identifying they have problematic narratives repeatedly playing in their daily thoughts about "who I am in the world", "how safe I am in the world" and "how safe other people are". How we answer these questions is heavily influenced by our past experiences, past relationships and possibly past trauma. Doing the reflective work to identify these thoughts and core beliefs can free someone to live in more congruence as the person they want to be, rather than being constricted - or even enslaved - by real or perceived fear. Many leaders can improve their leadership and communication when they have done this internal/reflective work.
Relationship issues. Ranging from current partner, ex partner, parenting to extended family challenges. Being human means we all have family of some description. Each family is unique and complex. Many of our clients benefit from a safe space to be able to discuss their cares and concerns, clarify their values, determine goals moving forward and developing realistic strategies to help them navigate these relationships.
Stress and burnout. Many people are managing high demands in their personal lives as well as at work. We have supported many clients to determine their priorities, set boundaries and implement genuine self care strategies (not bubble baths - there's nothing wrong with a bubble bath, but it isn't the epitomy of self care as it has been cracked up to be) to make their lives more sustainable and successful.
This isn't an exhaustive list of what we support with. Unfortunately there are a lot of other life and mental health challenges, loss and grief that people are coping with. This is a list of some of the top, common challenges that humanity faces and that we have experienced anecdotally in our practice this year. It is likely that you - whether you are an employer or an employee - have experienced some or all of these challenges personally yourself. The purpose of this blog is to encourage you and remind you, you are not alone. Have the courage to reach out for a safe, non judgemental conversation.
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