Would you tell your boss you were experiencing stress?

It’s probably not a surprise that these figures rise annually,  what might be surprising is that this statistic came from a 2019 study by the Health & Safety Executive, ie pre Covid.

Whilst 51% is alarming, it’s only part of the picture.  A massive 92% of us think acknowledging a mental health issue would detrimentally impact our career and a survey by Slater & Gordon suggested 44% of us would lie about a mental illness, blaming a period of absence on physical ailments.

I’ve never been in any doubt that stress is an issue that needs to be solved, but moving forward requires honesty and ownership.  When two people are exposed to the same working conditions and one experiences stress and one doesn’t, the employer could conclude that the issue lies with the individual.

So stress becomes an individual problem and can be perceived as a brokenness or weakness.  

We are inherently tribal and need to feel strong to belong and survive, so the perception of being seen as the broken one fuels the stigma we experience around mental health.   This is enough for us to hide our truth.  Ironically, facing into the condition, against the fear of being judged, is a true demonstration of courage.

Stress can be all consuming but let’s consider this...

• Stress is just one of many physical and emotional reactions these amazing human bodies are capable of – it does not define us.
• How we respond to stress is a learnt behaviour – it does not define us.
•  We may or may not deal appropriately with a particular set of circumstances – it does not define us.

Mind21 is a 21 day course that teaches stress management at a cognitive and experiential level.   Find out more by visiting our online courses.