This week is Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW) and this is important for several reasons. While there are many existing awareness ‘days/months/movements’ that celebrate the individual elements of mental health, such last month’s Stress Awareness Month covered in Charley’s most recent blog, this week holds additional significance. This is because it is representative of the overarching subject of mental health in its entirety and is inclusive of mental health symptoms such as anxiety, stress and depression. MHAW is an ideal time for everyone to reflect on their mental health, tackle the stigma, and most importantly explore the ways in which we can create a society that prevents mental health problems from going unmanaged and unnoticed.
The Mental Health Epidemic in Cyber
While the mental health epidemic hasn’t left any industry unscathed, cyber is still considered to be in the top affected sectors. Cybersecurity professionals are experiencing increased levels of stress, burnout and frustration at work more than ever before which as a result is consequently impacting their mental health. It seems that the cybersecurity industry is prone to an array of mental health issues. In fact, a recent survey found that 91% of cybersecurity professionals have experienced mental health challenges at work during the past two years. Yet, this is unsurprising because of the stressful nature of their roles. Evidently, being put under constant pressure, managing enormous workloads, and dealing with critical tasks is inevitably is taking its toll.
The above emphasises the need for cybersecurity organisations to act and find a long-term solution to the ongoing problem of mental health. This is why we’re excited to work with The IT Security Guru on the launch of the Cyber Mindfulness Corner, a peer-to-peer hub full of advice for battling burnout, mental health support resources, and the latest cyber-mindfulness related news. The publication’s aim is to champion a more mindful industry which is important because there is a real need for businesses to commit to a long-term change that will positively impact the future state of the population’s mental health.
How Organisations Are Tackling The Problem
While mental health is still a big problem, there are many organisational leaders that are actively putting their efforts towards addressing the issue at large. In fact, The Zensory conducted a survey at last year’s International Cyber Expo and surprisingly found that 50% of organisations had some form of wellbeing support system in place. While this demonstrates a positive change and step in the right direction, we still have a long way to go. However, it’s important to recognise some of the positive
measures organisations are currently enforcing to help improve the mental health and wellbeing of their staff. Earlier this year, several companies opted into a trial for a four-day working week to raise employee morale and help workers to restore a positive work life balance. Since the trial ended, 92% of participating organisations have chosen to pursue the four-day week permanently after a successful six-month trial. The ‘4 Day Week Campaign’ also found that burnout was down by 71% while sick days were doing by 65%, which shows how making a change can really make a difference for employee mental health.
Colleague Support
In addition to receiving support from your organisation, offering or receiving support from your colleagues can also help to maintain and improve your mental health and wellbeing. Here are three quick tips to help you get started:
- Checking In: Having regular check ins with your colleagues can help to create a comfortable environment where both parties feel comfortable to reach out for support, if needed.
- Active Listening: Listening is always key to helping someone who is struggling with their mental health. It’s important that you ask direct and appropriate questions to encourage them to open up about offload about how they feel. If the environment you are speaking in is disruptive, then try to find a quiet space as this may help you feel more focused and engaged in the conversation.
- Seek Help: It’s not always easy asking for help when you need it the most but if you or anyone you know at work is suffering in silence, it’s important to ask for help to ensure the problem is not left unnoticed.
