Mindgram: "A good wellness program focuses on prevention"

Companies have long stopped assuming that by simply offering a salary at the end of the month, all the members of their staff will be happy in their job. Today it is known that working life is not so different from private life: it must offer incentives and stimulating projects to generate well-being and "connect" with the motivation system of the workers.

However, it is one thing to know the theory and another to take action and behave in a manner consistent with this broader vision of the well-being of workers. Are companies doing everything possible to accommodate the emotional and personal development needs of their employees?

Here we will talk about it in this interview with Ángel Corbacho and Ángela Sierra, members of the Mindgram team, psychological assistance platform designed for organizations.

• Related article: "Psychology of work and organizations: a profession with a future"

Interview with Ángela Sierra and Ángel Corbacho: the importance of psychological support in organizations

Ángela Sierra Olmo graduated from the University of Seville and specialized in Health Psychology from the University of Oviedo. He has experience as a psychologist in the adult and adolescent population, and as a technical assistant at Treloar School & College (special education center) dealing with minors with different mental disorders neurodevelopment. She currently collaborates on the Mindgram platform as a Psychologist Chat Specialist.

For his part, Ángel Corbacho Cuecas has a degree in Psychology from the University of Seville, a Master's degree in Psychoanalysis and Philosophy from the Complutense University of Madrid. He is currently training in art therapy and sculptural techniques at Escola Massana. He works as a child-adolescent therapist and chat therapy assistant. In addition, throughout his profession he has translated psychological content, participated in clinical research, carried out art therapy and group psychoanalysis, and generated didactic content for online universities, among others things.

In this interview, both give us their point of view on the kind of needs related to mental health to which organizations face today, and the way in which proposals like Mindgram's help companies and workers.

We are now at a time when talking about mental health is becoming more normalized in the different areas of our lives. Do you think that companies pay attention to the emotional health of their workers?

Angela Sierra Olmo: It is a subject that has imploded, especially since the pandemic arrived, and which they can no longer ignore. Cases of stress and anxiety have skyrocketed in recent months, as a result of the current climate of labor uncertainty, social isolation and difficulties in reconciling work and family life, among others reasons. Six out of ten Spanish workers –both self-employed and employed- (60.3%) feel stressed by the workload, 27.2% due to their relationship with their bosses or colleagues, and one in four (25.1%) due to the fear of not being up to the expectations. expectations. And let's remember that stress always has negative consequences for health

On the one hand, some companies have responded by reinforcing their conciliation policies and adapting to teleworking. In addition, two thirds of European workers say they have received mental health support from the company during the pandemic. Without a doubt, this is positive.

But, on the other hand, we are still adapting to this new situation, which also entails difficulties in terms of the relationship with colleagues, the adaptation to work at home and the productivity. And to this is added the current climate of labor uncertainty, which has led many workers to assume a greater workload and put in overtime.

So, the question is rather: are companies prepared to face this change and provide the psychological support their employees need?

What are the negative consequences for companies of having disgruntled and unhappy employees at work?

Angel Corbacho Cuecas: Well, we are talking about economic losses due to the drop in productivity and an increase in sick leave. In fact, in Spain, stress is the reason for almost 30% of sick leave.

A disgruntled employee misses work more or, on the contrary, makes an appearance, but does not pay. Both absenteeism and presenteeism they are very costly problems for any company. But so is the loss of human capital and knowledge that occurs with the departure of staff.

In the field of organizations, we usually talk about the work environment. What exactly does this term mean and how important is it in the economic results of an organization?

Angela Sierra Olmo: When we talk about work environment we refer to the work environment of a company. In a good work environment, the staff is motivated and feels fulfilled, communication between colleagues is positive and there is a feeling of belonging that favors teamwork. Competitiveness is not encouraged or punished.

Obviously, all this translates into greater productivity and, therefore, economic results and a favorable reputation for the company. In the end, it is in the interest of any organization to have happy employees and motivated, that they feel a valuable part of the team and become the best ambassadors of your brand. Hence the question that some companies have been asking themselves in recent years: what can I do for my employees, how can I improve the quality of their time with us?

Although it has been studied for a long time, in recent years, there has been a lot of talk about burnout or “burnout syndrome”. How frequent is occupational burnout in the work environment? What differentiates it from stress?

Angel Corbacho Cuecas: Unfortunately, in Spain, slightly less than half of Spaniards seem to feel exhausted at work, especially since the arrival of the pandemic. Moreover, the syndrome is already beginning to be considered as a reason for sick leave since the WHO recognized it as an occupational disease. The most reported stress symptoms are irritability (46.8%), anxiety (39.5%), insomnia (38.0%), headaches and muscle pain (32.2%) and physical fatigue (29.9%)

Actually, this disease starts with stress. A stressed person can feel physically and mentally exhausted, but when this situation lasts for a long time, the exhaustion becomes chronic. Then, you start to react negatively to work, you become emotionally detached and you stop feeling fulfilled, but you also start to have health problems. Once it reaches this point it is very difficult to reverse the situation.

Based on your experience, what do you think are the most common causes of occupational burnout at work?

Angela Sierra Olmo: Mainly, the excessive workload that leads us to neglect our personal life. As I told you before, the labor uncertainty that we are experiencing at the moment is contributing to employees assuming more responsibilities and working overtime. Many times, the pressure comes from above, due to the concern of companies for the productivity of their teams, especially with the advent of remote work. To this is added that, when working from home, many times, it is difficult for us to separate work from our personal life.

Curiously, I have seen many cases of people who start out in love with their work and take on tasks and responsibilities that end up consuming their personal and family lives. It happens, above all, with those who deal directly with the public. These are positions that require a lot of emotional involvement and dealing with very demanding people. We are talking about educators, social workers, psychologists, health personnel, etc. Although, really, any job that generates constant stress can lead to occupational burnout if we do not take the necessary measures to avoid it.

Do you think that Spanish companies take occupational health and prevention policies seriously, or is there a more reactive than preventive culture?

Angel Corbacho Cuecas: In a way, the role of companies continues to be more reactive than preventive. Certain benefits such as childcare services, teleworking, more flexible working hours for fathers and mothers or monthly subscriptions to gyms are measures that, although they help prevent stress and promote a healthier life, are actually born as a response to needs that range arising. Unfortunately, these benefits are seen as an expense to be saved, when in fact they help prevent sick leave and decreased productivity due to stress.

But really, most companies are not prepared to detect health problems or mental illness and act in advance. Yes, many times they do surveys to assess the well-being of workers but, when it comes down to it, they don't really know what to do with that data or how to intervene. Some are already aware of the problem and are hiring emotional and psychological support services.

However, beyond these measures, an effective prevention plan goes through the promotion of mental health, to create a work environment free of stigma in which employees can talk openly about these issues and, thus, detect cases of burnout and other diseases in advance mental.

What can Human Resources departments do to improve the well-being of their employees?

Angela Sierra Olmo: The first thing is to maintain constant communication with the team and pay attention to the individual needs of each member. The personal circumstances of the workers must be taken into account to create wellness programs that really connect with the team. Flexibility respecting the objectives is key.

To carry out this program, it is necessary to involve those responsible for the team. Unfortunately, it is common for more aggressive and direct skills to be valued when promoting leadership, which can be useful for many, but they are not the best qualities when it comes to managing tensions and problems. Although they already know the benefits of having a healthy and productive workforce, they may not know the role as role they play in removing the stigma of mental illness and creating a work environment prosperous. For this reason, they must be given the appropriate tools so that they lead by example and know how to emotionally support their team.

As I told you before, a good wellness program focuses on prevention. Talks can be organized to raise awareness about well-being and mental health, emotional management workshops, emotional release sessions, outdoor activities, etc. But, in addition, it is important to communicate very clearly the company's wellness policies and the support options available to those who need it.

You often work with companies to improve the well-being of their workers. What does Mindgram offer and why can it help companies to be healthier and more efficient?

Angel Corbacho Cuecas: Well, what we do is listen and analyze the needs and situation of each company to offer them a customized solution.

Mindgram is a wellness platform that focuses on the prevention of mental health problems. Our specialists offer workshops, podcasts and other educational resources on emotional management, stress management, mindfulness and healthy living, among other topics. Because all this prevention and awareness work is essential to create a healthy, productive and stigma-free workspace. In addition, the team and their families have 24/7 access to psychologists, nutrition specialists, business mentors, lawyers...

Many times, companies do not have the preparation or the means to implement a program of these features and resort to a bunch of hard-to-find third-party vendors and solutions. manage. The idea is to facilitate this task with a single platform.