National Safe Work Month - "Safety is Everyone's Business"

Introduction to National Safe Work Month

October is National Safe Work Month, a time when employers and workers across Australia commit to creating safe and healthy workplaces. This annual event, organized by Safe Work Australia, emphasizes the importance of work health and safety (WHS) practices for all Australians. The theme for this year, “Safety is Everyone’s Business,” encourages workplaces to integrate safety into their daily operations and culture.

A critical aspect of workplace safety is mental health. Mental health issues can significantly impact an individual’s ability to work safely and productively. I would like to share my views on what I have learned through my journey and the journey of others.

Understanding Mental Health and Mental Illness

For years, I never fully understood what mental health and mental illness were. Growing up, there was a stigma around mental challenges, and they were rarely discussed. Those who regularly expressed difficult emotions like sadness, fear, or anger were often perceived as difficult, lazy, irresponsible, too sensitive, or even manipulative. I, too, was guilty of this bias due to a lack of understanding. The expectation was to “just get over it!” I was also confused about how our mental health could be so different from our physical health.

It wasn’t until the last few years that I began to understand what mental health truly means and saw the detrimental effects of mental health issues, especially if one does not mindfully and consistently look after their mental well-being.

Working on your mental health is not a straightforward process. For some, it can take weeks or days to gain control, while for others, it can take months or even years. A lot of effort is required around self-awareness and working alongside a community—be it loved ones, work colleagues, family, or friends—to provide a helping hand or a “nudge.” In more challenging cases, this community includes medical professionals and therapists.

Forty years on, I am still exposed to conversations where mental health is misunderstood, dismissed, or judged. A shocking fact is that nearly 50% of adults experience a mental illness at some point in their lives, with more than half experiencing moderate to severe symptoms. Four of the ten leading causes of disability among people aged five and older are mental health disorders, with depression being the number one cause of all illnesses that cause disability. Despite this high prevalence, only about 20% of people with a mental illness receive professional help.

But there is hope. Mental health is certainly being talked about more, it’s part of legislation, and included in HR policies. The growing realization of how much mental illness affects healthcare costs and the number of lost workdays is changing this trend. The more we discuss and formalize our approach, the more we change how we think and manage ourselves and others. We can take control first with a simple step: by taking care of ourselves.

So, let’s begin by understanding the related but distinct concepts of mental health and mental illness.

Mental Health

Mental health refers to a person’s overall psychological well-being and emotional resilience. It involves the ability to cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively, and contribute to the community. Good mental health allows individuals to realize their potential. Poor mental health, on the other hand, involves feeling worried, overwhelmed, and experiencing extreme highs and lows over long periods. This can become an issue if not addressed early on and can lead to burnout or nervous breakdowns. More obvious signs of poor mental health include changes in sleep patterns, weight (gain or loss), personal hygiene, eating habits, productivity, and poor management of relationships both at work and home.

Mental Illness

Mental illness refers to a broad range of conditions that affect a person’s mood, thinking, and behavior. It includes disorders such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and others. Mental illnesses can disrupt a person’s ability to function effectively in daily life and cause significant distress. However, if managed well, people can live normal and happy lives, just like those without a mental illness. Mental illness is often compared to a broken leg: it can be equally immobilizing. Some days you’ll feel the pain, and some days it will feel so overbearing that you can’t walk.

Causes of Mental Health Problems

Mental health problems can have a wide range of causes, and different people may be more deeply affected by certain factors than others. For example, the following factors could potentially result in a period of poor mental health:

• Childhood abuse, trauma, or neglect

• Social isolation or loneliness

• Experiencing discrimination and stigma, including racism

• Social disadvantage, poverty, or debt

• Bereavement (losing someone close to you)

• Severe or long-term stress

• Having a long-term physical health condition

• Unemployment or losing your job

• Homelessness or poor housing

• Being a long-term carer for someone

• Drug and alcohol misuse

• Domestic violence, bullying, or other abuse as an adult

• Significant trauma as an adult, such as military combat, being involved in a serious incident in which you feared for your life, or being the victim of a violent crime

• Physical causes – for example, a head injury or a neurological condition such as epilepsy can impact your behavior and mood. (It’s important to rule out potential physical causes before seeking further treatment for a mental health problem).

• Although lifestyle factors including work, diet, drugs, and lack of sleep can all affect your mental health, if you experience a mental health problem, there are usually other factors as well.

Being Mindful of Our Mental Health

How can we be more mindful of our mental health when we go to work, take care of domestic duties at home, and function well daily? Sometimes we have days when we wake up feeling demotivated, more emotional than normal, and reactive to external stimuli. If things are happening at work or home that are out of the norm, it can cause significant emotional distress and strain our mental well-being. Having a “Duvet Day,” now more formally referred to as a mental health day, is recommended. Duvet days don’t have to be just for those with health conditions. We live in a busy world that demands constant productivity and an overload of information with high expectations. Taking a day for yourself is vital for everyone, and we shouldn’t have to feel guilty for that. Duvet days, in this way, are not lazy days off; they are time-out days for purposeful intent, reflection, reset, and growth. You can then step back into the week with renewed strength and resilience. However, too many of them too often can be counter-productive and worsen our mental health.

We also need to be accountable for the work we deliver. The places we work are not charities; we have a job to do, and we must respect the expectation of that responsibility. If there is a need to have them very regularly, then adjustments need to be made, either by seeking external support so you are not left feeling overwhelmed.

Summary

During Safety Month, numerous resources are available to help you understand and improve mental health. Be curious, compassionate, and kind. Avoid judgment without understanding the facts, and always hold onto hope—there is always a way out, even when it doesn’t feel like it. It’s crucial to know what resources to tap into, what strategies work best for you, and who can best support you. Remember, taking care of your mental health is a journey, and you are not alone.