On the 30th of January, we hosted our first webinar of 2023. We had with us Helina Harro, Psychologist and Mental Health Lead at Siffi, an employee mental well-being platform. The webinar provided insights and strategies for managing change and how to minimise its impact on HR professionals’ well-being.
The importance of mental health in the workplace is a well-known fact. But who takes care of the HR professionals themselves?
HR professionals are often the first to experience change, making them change agents. The last three years were very challenging – the COVID lockdowns, the work-from-home revolution, and the ongoing crisis around inflation and the war in Ukraine. HR professionals are at the forefront of both good and bad news in the workplace.
Some Data
A report by Workvivo published in Forbes revealed that 98% of HR staff report feeling burned out. 88% say they dread work, 97% say their work has caused them to feel emotionally fatigued and 73% say they don’t have the tools and resources to do their job Only 29% feel that their work is valued by their company, and it is worrying that 78% of HR professionals consider leaving their job and exploring other opportunities.
The CIPD’s People Profession 2022 report found 51% of HR professionals with less than five years of experience were able to describe their mental health as good, compared with 59% for people in a job longer than five years.
Almost a third (31%) of practitioners said their mental health was negatively affected by their work.
Change vs Transition
Change often occurs quickly, could be perceived as a loss and can lead to anxiety. Transition is a slower process and provides more control, but it is also more challenging. It depends on one’s mindset and support can help shift that mindset to thrive through change.
Coping Strategies and Ideas
A poll among the webinar participants revealed that they cope with change by finding time for themselves, engaging in sports, taking time off work, or talking with a colleague.
Helina Harro and Dragan Donkov shared good and simple practices for mental well-being, such as self-compassion, focusing on what can be impacted, rest, social connections, helping others, and acceptance over resistance.
Helina invited the participants to take a 7-day challenge to tackle these areas.
This challenge consists of seven consecutive days and focuses on:
- – creating a sleep schedule
- – exercising
- – engaging in social activities
- – relaxing
- – setting clear work boundaries
- – practising assertive communication.
The goal is to reflect on whether the week was less stressful or more elevating than usual.
Dragan Donkov suggested other support activities such as:
- – reaching out to a mentor
- – starting a coaching programme
- – joining a peer support group.
These activities give a sense of belonging and provide comfort and a safe space to discuss concerns and pain points with like-minded people.
Despite all the challenges HR Jobs are among the Happiest according to the website Glassdoor
The HR manager role was rated the second-best job with a satisfaction score of 4.4/5, while the HR business partner took the fourth spot with a score of 4.3. The Corporate recruiter was the most rewarding job with a score of 4.6.
If you want to check how coaching can help you thrive as a Human Centred Professional book a free 30 minutes call with coach Dragan here.