UN advocates yoga and meditation to improve workers’ mental health

The two UN agencies in charge of health and labor respectively, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Labor Organization (ILO), have made public a series of tips to prevent and protect against risks threatening mental health at work. They advise practicing yoga or mindfulness meditation to reduce stressbut also activities such as physical exercise and walking to “improve mental health and work capacity”.

The two UN organizations have launched this advice guide at a time when it is estimated that 15% of adults (one in six) of working age suffer from mental disorders, which can be amplified in the workplace by bullying and other forms of psychological abuse. Psychological distress is indeed costly to those who suffer from it and to society. An estimated 12 billion working days are lost each year due to depression and anxiety, or $1 trillion, according to the WHO and ILO. “It is time to focus on the harmful effects that work can have on our mental health,” urges WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a joint statement.

“The well-being of the individual is reason enough to act, but poor mental health can also have a debilitating impact on a person’s performance and productivity“, he insists. The WHO warned in June that almost a billion people worldwide were living with a mental disorder before the Covid-19 pandemic, which further aggravated the situation.

The health crisis has increased the incidence of anxiety and depression by 25% worldwide, according to the agency, which reports that only 2% on average of national health budgets are allocated to mental health, while two out of three countries lack programs to prevent and treat mental health problems at work. . “The figures are alarming,” Manal Azzi, head of the ILO’s occupational safety and health team, told reporters.

Read also: The boom in meditation apps, to let go without letting go of your smartphone

Prevent stressful work environments

“We have a huge responsibility ahead of us.“The workplace itself is often a trigger. In its new report on how best to counter the problem, the WHO points out that a purposeful job can protect mental well-being, provide a sense of accomplishment, self-confidence and generate income. But unlike harmful or poor working conditions, poor working relationships and unemployment “can contribute significantly to worsening mental health or worsening existing mental health problems”.

The workplace can also amplify broader issues that negatively affect mental health, such as discrimination based on gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation and disability, the WHO adds. One of the most important -and new- recommendations is to train those in charge so that they know how to prevent stressful work environments and respond to workers in distress. Aiysha Malik, from the WHO’s department of mental health and addiction, explained that it was essential “to prevent people from being at risk such as very heavy workloads (…) being victimized intimidation, difficult relationships with colleagues or superiors”.

This must change, she said, or we will continue “to struggle with our mental health at work, regardless of the number of stress management tools” that we apply. In addition to these new guidelines, WHO and ILO have published a joint guidance note, outlining practical strategies for governments, employers and workers and their organizations. It also explains how to support people with mental disorders and help them participate and thrive in the workplace. “We must invest to build a culture of prevention around mental health in the workplace, reshape the work environment to end stigma and social exclusion, and ensure that employees with mental health issues feel protected and supported,” ILO chief Guy Ryder said in the statement.

The two UN agencies in charge of health and work respectively, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Labor Organization (ILO), have published a series of advice to prevent and protect themselves. against the risks threatening mental health at work. They advise the practice of yoga or mindfulness meditation to reduce stress, but also activities such as physical exercise and walking to “improve mental health and work capacity”. The two UN organizations have launched this advice guide at a time when it is estimated that 15% of adults (one in six) of working age suffer from mental disorders, which can be amplified in the workplace by bullying and other forms of psychological abuse. Psychological distress is indeed costly to those who suffer from it and to society. An estimated 12 billion working days are lost each year due to depression and anxiety, or $1 trillion, according to the WHO and ILO. “It is time to focus on the harmful effects that work can have on our mental health,” urges WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a joint statement. “The well-being of the individual is reason enough to act, but poor mental health can also have a debilitating impact on a person’s performance and productivity,” he insists. The WHO warned in June that almost a billion people worldwide were living with a mental disorder before the Covid-19 pandemic, which made the situation even worse. The health crisis has increased the incidence of anxiety and depression worldwide by 25%, according to the agency, which reports that only 2% on average of national health budgets are allocated to mental health, while that two out of three countries do not have programs for the prevention and treatment of mental health problems at work. “The figures are alarming,” Manal Azzi, head of the ILO’s occupational safety and health team, told reporters. Read also: The boom in meditation apps, to let go without letting go of your smartphone “We have a huge responsibility ahead of us.” The workplace itself is often a trigger. In its new report on the best way to counter the problem, the WHO points out that a motivating job can protect mental well-being, provide a sense of achievement, self-confidence and generate income. But unlike harmful or poor working conditions, poor working relationships and unemployment “can contribute significantly to worsening mental health or worsening existing mental health conditions.” The workplace can also amplify broader issues that negatively affect mental health, such as discrimination based on gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation and disability, the WHO adds. One of the most important – and new – recommendations is to train managers on how to prevent stressful work environments and respond to workers in distress. Aiysha Malik, from the WHO’s department of mental health and addiction, explained that it was essential “to prevent people from being at risk such as very heavy workloads (…) being victimized intimidation, difficult relationships with colleagues or superiors”. That has to change, she said, or we will continue “to struggle with our mental health at work, no matter how many stress management tools” we apply. In addition to these new guidelines, WHO and ILO have published a joint guidance note, outlining practical strategies for governments, employers and workers and their organizations. It also explains how to support people with mental disorders and help them participate and thrive in the workplace. “We must invest to build a culture of prevention around mental health in the workplace, reshape the work environment to end stigma and social exclusion, and ensure that employees with mental health issues feel protected and supported,” ILO chief Guy Ryder said in the statement.