Managing mental health in the workplace

As mental health is a fundamental component of how people think, feel, relate and perform at work, it’s vital to have a company culture that is healthy and supportive.   

Mental health is no longer a peripheral workplace issue. The vast majority of a workforce will have been touched or affected by mental health challenges at some point in their career, whether it has been overcoming difficulties personally or supporting someone who has.

Recent years, particularly during and following the pandemic, brought mental health into sharper focus. While the virus itself was not a cause of mental health conditions, the global response, including prolonged uncertainty, isolation and changes to working patterns, created an environment in which anxiety, stress and low mood were more likely to emerge. In many cases, these challenges were dormant or manageable beforehand, but were intensified or newly triggered by the circumstances people found themselves in.  

For some, this period was especially difficult, particularly those with existing vulnerabilities or limited support networks. For others, it became an unexpected catalyst for adaptation, prompting reassessment of priorities, stronger boundaries and healthier work-life balance. What became increasingly clear was that mental health exists on a spectrum, fluctuating over time and shaped by both personal resilience and organisational context. 

A healthy workplace culture acknowledges mental health risks without defining people by them. While it is vital to recognise stressors and challenges early, it is equally important not to assume fragility or inevitability.   

Mindsets, therefore, matter. A tendency to catastrophise or to frame experiences in extremes can inadvertently undermine wellbeing. While the placebo effect is well known (where positive beliefs improve outcomes) the “nocebo” effect can do the opposite, reinforcing difficulty and diminishing confidence.   

And therein lies the rub. How do we adequately acknowledge very real personal stressors and mental health risks while, at the same time, keeping ourselves from making them a self-fulfilling prophesy?   

The key is to be aware of both the potential mental health issues that may arise and our ability to overcome them. 

How the working world has changed since the pandemic has shown that trusting people to manage themselves is not just possible but highly effective for the business and something that individuals prize. If you can maintain trust and flexibility, employees will continue to find their way to optimise their approach. It might look different for everyone but that is likely a good thing.  

Prioritising performance over well-being in anything but the short term is a false dichotomy. They are two sides of the same coin. If we allow our people to attend to their well-being, then they perform for the long term. Performance without well-being is unsustainable, particularly in an ‘infinite game’ like financial services. At Goldcrest Partners, we believe an emphasis on both well-being and performance will yield superior long-term outcomes for organisations and individuals.  

Change often fails because it is ‘too much, too soon, too fast’ for the individual or organisation to tolerate. If we let people travel at their own pace and provide appropriate boundaries and encouragement, then it will certainly pay dividends.

In summary, at Goldcrest Partners, we believe it is important to be both vigilant and confident in the ability to mitigate mental health risks and support individuals if needed. Furthermore, allowing individuals the flexibility to optimise their working habits and trusting them to do the right thing may prove to be a key factor in not just mental health but also attracting and retaining the best talent.   

The upside here is a competitive advantage in your people.