Mental Health in the Workplace
- chong Andelina
- Oct 8
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 9
This article on mental health in the workplace reminds me of the time when I had to talk to one of my team members when she became a new mother. It’s not easy to balance work and her new role as a mother, something which many new parents can relate to.
Some new mothers put immense pressure on themselves to be a "perfect parent", leading to feelings of guilt or failure when things don't go as expected.
At one point, she felt stretched and was considering resignation. She spoke to me and requested flexible working hours to better cope with her new role as a parent. As a leader, I gave her the safe space to share her challenges and provided a listening ear. I acknowledged her feelings and remained open to her suggestion on how to integrate the work schedule into her new personal role.
She felt relieved and appreciated that I heard her concerns and accepted her flexible work proposal.
AI generated photo for illustration
I do not believe in micromanaging employees. I trusted her to manage her time and energy, recognizing that her output might not be linear while she adapted to her new role. I believe in helping employees achieve their personal goals wherever possible, without jeopardizing the organization's goals. I believe that happy employees would result in increased team cohesiveness and higher productivity. I also believed that the team member’s success should be measured based on effect and major deliverables, not just hours spent at the desk.
How Micromanaging Affects Staff’s Mental Health?
In today’s fast-paced and competitive work environment, micromanagement and lack of autonomy are key stressors that can have a significant impact on employees. These kinds of stressors often stem from emotional tension at work, and it is recommended to learn strategies via our Emotional Wellness Coaching. By prioritizing the well-being of their employees, companies can not only reduce stress in the workplace but also improve overall productivity and success.
Micromanaging significantly harms staff's mental health by fostering a culture of distrust, high stress, and low self-worth, leading to chronic psychological issues.
Increased Stress and Anxiety: Micromanagement creates a perpetual sense of surveillance, forcing employees into a state of "hypervigilance" as they constantly worry about making mistakes. This chronic stress can lead to elevated levels of stress hormones and contribute to long-term anxiety and stress-related disorders. Ideally, it is acceptable for the team member to make some mistakes within a reasonable band.
Loss of Confidence and Self-Doubt: When leaders excessively control tasks and decisions, it sends a clear message of "I don't trust you" to the employee. This consistently undermines their expertise and ability, leading to a steep decline in self-confidence and demotivates them to take initiative. Issues of self-worth and mindset can affect performance. Our Money Mindset Coaching also helps address limiting beliefs that may overlap with workplace stress.
Burnout and Emotional Exhaustion: Micromanagement often involves a heavy focus on frequent demanding updates, and excessive workload, which, combined with a lack of empowerment, contributes to emotional exhaustion. The affected staff would feel like they have no power or control over what happens in life. They may feel “stuck” or “trapped” in a situation.
Over time, this chronic, stressed-out state can cause permanent damage to their health. Poor health results in lower productivity.
Decreased Job Satisfaction and Motivation: Employees feel disempowered, demoralized, and undervalued when their autonomy is stripped away. This lack of control and feeling that their contributions are not genuinely appreciated leads to decreased job satisfaction, low morale, and a significant drop in motivation and engagement.
Frustration and Demoralization: Staff often feel exasperated and frustrated because they are prevented from using their own expertise, finding creative solutions, or experiencing the necessary growth that comes from learning through challenge and even minor mistakes.
While I think it’s important to develop the team member, I believe it’s better to focus on their strengths rather than spending more time overcoming their weaknesses. It is similar to the principle of Cliffton strength ie the most effective way to achieve personal and professional success is not to fix one’s weaknesses, but to identify, understand, and intentionally invest in one’s natural talents to turn them into strengths.
I deeply reasonate with Richard Branson: ‘treat your employee like how you like to be treated’
My thoughts on leadership:
· Exercise team leadership. Acknowledge the staff’s achievements. Celebrate the team’s success. Recognition is a powerful tool for motivation. Provide constructive feedback.
Walk the talk
· Foster a cohesive unit, leveraging the diverse skills of all team members, and ensuring shared ownership of results.
· Leaders isn’t just about managing performance. It’s also about having a fluid mindset. To play the consultative role and guide whenever necessary, especially when the team members have many years of working experience. To play the role of a mentor when the team members are less experienced.
