Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Protect Your Brain

Imagine there were special glasses you could wear that showed you the chemical landscape of someone’s brain. How would that change the way you treat people at work?

Let’s say your boss doesn’t say hello to you on her way to the office, and she closes her door and doesn’t speak to you for over an hour. Your thoughts start reeling. What did I do wrong? Is she mad at me? Two hours later, you’re in a staff meeting and she doesn’t seem herself. You put on your special glasses and a warning flashes: low serotonin! This tells you she’s experiencing depression. Now your thoughts shift from wondering if she’s angry with you to realizing she’s struggling and might need help.

Later that day, you get in a disagreement with a coworker. He becomes angry and raises his voice before storming off. You suddenly find yourself distracted by angry thoughts as you replay the conflict. Feeling too restless to stay on task, you head to the washroom. Looking in the mirror, you put your special glasses on. Another warning: high cortisol! You recall that your brain can’t tell the difference between a workplace conflict and a bear attack; when your coworker raised his voice at you, it triggered a flood of cortisol. This chemical induces strong feelings of fight or flight, and because you’re at work, neither option is okay. You focus on slowing your breathing, imagining your body returning to its normal, unstressed state. Eventually you return to your duties, assured that your focus will return in a few minutes, and thankful that you weren’t actually attacked by a bear!

The fact is, our mental health is a huge factor in our lives, and a little bit of awareness goes a long way to understanding how people act. I recently completed training for mental health first aid. A major component of the training is nonjudgmental listening. A little bit of brain knowledge makes it easier to listen to someone without judging. Judging happens when you put a positive or negative value on what you’re seeing or hearing.

Mental health and psychological safety are emerging topics in the workplace, and the more awareness and sensitivity we have, the better our workplaces will be, and the easier it is for workers to get the help they need to live satisfying lives. We’re working hard to promote this kind of awareness. Make sure you check out the March Guide, which includes an article featuring some members’ stories about their mental health challenges.

Protect Your Brain

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