Plumm, the world’s leading platform for providing quality of life services in the workplace, which recently launched its operations in the UAE, has issued a report highlighting the clear links between mental and physical health, with the launch of Mental Health Awareness Month from May 1 to 31 in UAE and around the world.
The report’s findings indicate that the relationship between mental and physical health is often misunderstood. The report also highlights three major mental health factors that are directly linked to physical health: chronic stress, depression and fatigue. He explains that neglecting mental health, especially with regard to these three factors, has a direct impact on the body.
The implications of these mental health factors include chronic stress, which can contribute to physical symptoms such as high blood pressure and clogged arteries, and even lead to changes in the brain that lead to mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and addiction. Exhaustion increases a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease and other known risk factors, including obesity, high cholesterol, and smoking. If these conditions go undetected, they can increase the risk of a stroke or heart attack. The physical effects of depression include headaches, fatigue, back pain, insomnia, heart disease, and altered mental activity. These physical symptoms can greatly affect lifespan and quality of life, which is why getting help and relieving depression is critical to improving long-term mental and physical health.
These risks to long-term physical health affect people’s lives, including personal relationships and job performance, which poses a major threat to the productivity of any business, and in turn leads to the loss of profits and human capital. Therefore, fatigue, chronic stress and depression should be taken seriously, and these conditions should receive the necessary attention from companies and employers around the world.
Research Psychologist Kaelen Lube shares her tips for improving mental and physical health in the workplace during Mental Health Awareness Month.
• Making time for mental health and meditation is important to all of us. Five minutes a day can be devoted to taking a break in the workplace to clear the mind and meditate, which has a significant impact on mental and physical health.
• The process of setting goals can be great for promoting positivity and energy both mentally and physically. Start with small, achievable goals like making time to eat breakfast at the same time every day, then slowly move towards bigger goals. This sense of leadership and responsibility motivates us and enhances our focus.
• Establish clear boundaries between work and personal life. This sense of balance and boundaries makes employees happier and more productive, something that not only positively affects individuals but also businesses.
• Providing a safe space to communicate and freely express everyone’s needs is extremely important. Communication is key to personal and business growth.
• It is important to address the root causes of problems and stresses to ensure that you seek appropriate treatment and solutions before any serious complications occur. This mental health awareness month can be an opportunity to reflect on and resolve the root cause of some major stresses.
Assem Amin, Founder and CEO of Plumm, said: “Mental health and physical health will always be linked. When the mind suffers, the body suffers, and thus the personal and professional lives of individuals are affected. At Plumm we believe that everyone should have the opportunity to maintain mental and physical health, which is what Ensures healthier and happier workspaces.
