Mpower Shares the Importance of Mental Health Awareness for Event & Ad Industry
by EVENTFAQS Bureau Industry Watch | October 10, 2019 | Press Release
MPower World Mental Health Day
Event planners and advertising executives have incredibly demanding jobs. Career Cast ranked event planning as the 5th most stressful job in the world. The physical demands of the job, tight deadlines and constant pressure to communicate effectively with a variety of people increase work stress and can eventually cause burnout. If burnout is not addressed early, it can lead to a range of mental and physical problems. Signs of burnout include chronic exhaustion, feeling less capable at work and experiencing extreme dissatisfaction towards the job (Maslach C, Leiter MP, 2016). Although burnout is not a diagnosed mental health condition, the symptoms of burnout are quite similar to depression. According to Bianchi, Schonfeld and Laurent (2015), individuals experiencing burnout are at a higher risk of suffering from depression.
Keeping this in mind, it is becoming increasingly important to understand mental health conditions and the impact they have on physical and mental wellbeing. First and foremost, being mentally healthy does not mean being perfect. The physical and mental strain of constant late nights of working in the event and advertising industry can make it difficult to cope. While it is important to be able to recognize the signs of mental health issues, it is equally important to be equipped with solutions and strategies to seek effective support.
A high stress work environment often leads to unhealthy eating patterns, lack of exercise, increased anxiety, stomach upsets and risk of substance abuse. Poor mental health can have a lasting negative impact on physical health. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and World Economic Forum, mental illness is the largest economic burden in the world today. The stigma against mental health and lack of awareness worsens the problem. Starting an honest conversation about poor mental health due to high stress job environments is essential to try and break through this stigma. Promoting a culture of respect and providing a listening ear to a colleague who might be suffering with a mental concern can make a big difference in an organisation. It is definitely not easy to openly discuss mental health concerns due to the fear being judged and possibly losing one’s job in the process. But at some point or the other, everybody will experience poor mental health. Some go on to develop mental illnesses such as anxiety, depression, substance abuse, personality disorders and sexual dysfunctions, to name a few.
Anita Lobo, Head of Events, Mpower said, “The events industry brings along the multiple stressors as a part of it. While we prioritise the work, we tend to neglect ourselves & our mental well-being, without realising the impact it may have on our life, professional & personal. It is high time we all realised that along with physical health, our mental health is equally important and we must give ourselves the time to work on our mental well-being.”
Since high-stress environments contribute to an increased risk of developing a mental illness, mental health awareness is the need of the hour. Mental health awareness needs to be viewed as a medium of acknowledging the existence of mental health concerns and as a preventative strategy to keep an eye out for further declines in employee mental health. Understanding the mental and physical impact of stress and recognizing the signs of burnout will provide employees with the confidence to openly discuss mental health in the workplace. Being mindful of mental illnesses will help reduce these shocking statistics and promote positive mental health in the community.
A contributed article by Rynelle Oliver, Associate & Content – Outreach, Mpower.
Event planners and advertising executives have incredibly demanding jobs. Career Cast ranked event planning as the 5th most stressful job in the world.