I lost my job four years ago. It was the first time I had ever been let go. I thought it was one of those things that would never happen to me until it did. All of my self-esteem was locked up in that job. It was my identity, the primary income for my family, and I put all of my energy into it.
In an instant, my life turned upside down. We had to move, it strained my already fragile marriage, I couldn’t live with my kids for four months, and money was tight.
All in all, I was lucky. I quickly found a new job. There are many who are not that fortunate.
Millions of Americans are just one paycheck away from financial disaster. One.
Today, most companies are in the business of making money first and foremost. We live in a world where things, success, instant gratification, and fame have become more important than relationships and people.
I believe at the root of all our economic and social success is mental health.
So many of us in the workforce wear multiple hats that leave us depleted physically and emotionally by the end of the workday. In addition, the pressures to be perfect, generate more and more revenue, and constant criticism can cause almost anyone to snap in one form or another.
We are in the midst of the worst addiction epidemic in American history. Mass shootings have become just another news headline and suicide rates are the highest they have been in the past 28 years. I believe there is a direct correlation.
It’s time to get back to people. It’s time to be kind. It’s time to have empathy. It’s time for less criticism and more praise. It’s time to make mental health the biggest priority in our lives.
When people love where they work and feel good about themselves they naturally succeed. As a result, the business has a greater chance of success with mentally sound employees who are inspired to do their very best.
According to this article, companies fail to understand that investing in employees mental health can save businesses $225 billion every year.
This is not to discount that a huge part of mental health starts in the home and can transfer to the workplace, school, or social settings.
So what do we do? I think the recipe is actually quite simple. It starts with connecting. Take a genuine interest in the people you work with, the people in your neighborhood, and those you socialize with. Pay a compliment to someone every day. Ask people about their lives outside of the workplace. Most importantly, share your story so that we aren’t left feeling so alone in a world where we are locked into our phones and behind our computers.
In an ideal world, I think every company should have free and readily available resources to improve mental health, but if that is too difficult of a task, can we just start with being a little kinder towards one another?
The other big lesson I have learned through a job loss is to trust in myself and my abilities. I no longer hold all of my self worth in what I do professionally. I know I’m smart, hard-working, dedicated, and ambitious, which lessens my fear should that day of “You’re Fired” come.
