Zhi Hao, Author at Goody Feed

For too long, mental health has been sidestepped as something trivial. "It's just your mind playing tricks on you," many would reason. "Just man up, would you?" or worse: "You're just being weak." But poor mental health is more than just "being weak". If left unchecked, it could very well become as harmful, or even fatal, just like any other life-threatening physical condition. And it certainly doesn't help that throughout the pandemic, the various measures imposed by the government have taken their toll heavily. Silver Ribbon Awards 12 Employers for Positively Promoting Mental Health in Workplace Environment And so, it's heartening to see that more workplaces are taking mental health into account. And for the record, it certainly does them good in the long run too. According to CNA, 12 employers have been recognised for their efforts towards a more positive mental wellbeing. They are: Bizlink Centre Singapore Ltd FedEx Express Jardines MINDSET Jebsen & Jessen Group Johnson & Johnson Singapore Otsuka Pharmaceuticals (Singapore) Pte Ltd Pocari Sweat Singapore Project X PSA Corporation Limited Rio Tinto Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) Twitter Asia Pacific All were awarded by non-profit organisation Silver Ribbon (Singapore) for "creating mentally friendly and healthy working environments". Apart from instilling positive mental health awareness in their workplace, they also hired and accommodated employees with mental health issues, and commemorated World Mental Health Day. “ exemplary efforts in championing mental wellbeing in their workplaces ... This is especially timely, given the rising awareness of mental wellbeing at workplaces,” said Zaqy Mohamad, Senior Minister of State for Manpower and guest-of-honour at the event. “Mental health is just as important as physical health and it can have a significant impact on workers' productivity.” And for their efforts, the workplaces have also been rewarded aptly. Apart from improved health, employees are also more likely to stay longer at such companies. “According to WHO (the World Health Organisation)," said Jeffery Tan, CEO of Jardines MINDSET. "Every $1 put into scaled up treatment for common mental disorders, there is a return-on-investment of $4 in improved health and productivity." “An inclusive and safe workplace culture boosts employee morale, and creates a workplace employees are happy with and thus more inclined to remain at.” And in some cases, it's even part of the strategy. “Once (these employees) adapt and perform, they bring stability to the workforce. They tend to be committed to delivering the requirements in their job role and could bring a positive mindset and resilience to the workforce,” said Ang Li May, CEO of Bizlink Centre. “What is typically required is bringing them through a structured process, which also helps the organisation put in place better SOPs and have more structure to their processes.” Depression According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 264 million people are believed to suffer from depression worldwide. The pandemic has also worsened things, with one in four experiencing “low mood, anxiety and loneliness more than usual”. Some also felt “stressed out while working from home, handling household chores and taking care of their loved ones". In addition, negative working environment is said to contribute to negative mental well-being, with physical problems, drug or alcohol abuse, absenteeism, and decreased performances. And so, it's genuinely heartening to see that more workplaces are being open to such issues. Meanwhile, it's also imperative that people understand something: having mental issues isn’t a sign of weakness, nor is it weak to ask for help. Just like a cough or any other physical illnesses, sometimes, you just need professional help to recover from it. If you are feeling helpless in your own situation or just need some help to get back up, here are a few hotlines that you might want to call for help: Samaritans of Singapore (SOS): 1800-221 4444 Singapore Association for Mental Health (SAMH): 1800 283 7019 Emergency Helpline (IMH): 6389 2222 Silver Ribbon Singapore (SRS): 6385-3714) National CARE Hotline (NCH): 6202-6868 You can find more hotlines here. Feature Image: Rawpixel.com / Shutterstock.com