Learning to coping with the stress of returning to work
People of working age should pay attention to their mental health before resuming their jobs as they could be at risk of developing at least six problems with mental stability after the long Songkran holiday because of stress, a poor environment in the workplace, and loss of work-life balance.
According to the Nation Group’s media arm Krungthep Turakij, these mental disorders are:
• Post-vacation blues: People could feel bored or depressed, or not ready to continue their work after a long holiday. This usually clears within two to three days, but can persist for two to three weeks.
• Accumulated stress: People can observe a change in their behaviour and lifestyle, such as being unable to sleep or developing depression, leading to such physical problems as heart disease, hypertension, migraine or irritable bowel syndrome.
• Burnout syndrome: This condition is due to stress at work such as being unable to handle heavy and complicated jobs and leads to negative views on life, loss of happiness, decline in productivity and risk of developing depression.
• Low self-esteem: People who suffer from low self-esteem often feel depressed and afraid of socialising or saying no to others' requests. This can lead to prolonged loss of confidence.
• Depression: Depressed people often isolate themselves, feel bored with things that used to make them happy and even harm themselves. A thorough mental assessment is a start to coping with this problem.
• Panic disorder: people could develop many symptoms like heart palpitations, sweating, difficulty breathing, vomiting, dizziness, numbness, unable to control themselves and feeling afraid of things in their life.
To cope with mental problems, people should endeavour to be optimistic and be ready to accept help from others.
Employers, meanwhile, should reduce factors that trigger stress, improve communication and the environment in the workplace, create awareness of mental health and encourage employees to take up such activities as exercise and meditation.
Apart from better health among employees, these measures also help boost operational efficiency and reduce expenses in the long term.
