‘Work’ and ‘Life’ are not separate things
A few years ago, market research company 2CV invited an external speaker to talk to us about the link between the food we put into our bodies and our wellbeing. One of the things the speaker said, that absolutely spun me for a loop, was that she didn’t believe in a ‘work/life balance’.
I was prepared to climb up on my soapbox and fight about it; before she explained that in her view, part of life IS working (unless we are in a place of extreme privilege) and that ‘work’ and ‘life’ are not discrete entities, but intertwined. The reality is we spend more time at work than at home, so an imbalance already exists, and that’s why feeling happy at work is so important.
My reality
This theory became reality for me a few years later when I was going through a divorce. I was desperate to make sure that this massive change in my personal life wouldn’t impact my professional life. I wanted to make sure my projects continued to run smoothly, that I could still be depended upon by my teammates and colleagues, and that no one would spot any chinks in my professional armour. As you might imagine, this didn’t work, and the struggle got too hard.
Industry research
Having a whole section about mental wellbeing on the industry body website is a testament to the fact that this is an area of importance and continued improvement within Market Research. A yearly tracker by the Market Research Society (MRS) and Opinium is sent to people that work in the industry and taps into all sorts of areas, including mental wellbeing. The latest tracker results show that 15% of those working in the industry identify as having a mental health disability, 6% as neurodiverse and 24% suffer from stress / anxiety. It can be reasonably assumed that some people might not feel safe enough to have shared this information, so there may well be underclaim here.
A massive 83% of market researchers experienced poor mental health in the last 12 months preceding the tracker. This is lower than 2021 (87%), so it seems we’re moving in the right direction, and I hope the 2023 stats follow the same downward trend. But it’s a very stark statistic, that highlights how important it is for the right support systems to be put in place to help those experiencing periods of poor mental health.
Psychological Safety
Like many of us, I’ve been part of that 83% statistic – sometimes due to something impacting me directly, and sometimes due to being caught in the ripple effect of close family or friends’ challenges. What got me through was, eventually, feeling psychologically safe enough to talk to my line manager and head of department about what I was going through, being frank about what I could manage in terms of my normal workload, and what support I needed.
Getting to that place of psychological safety takes time and required me to take the first step. I tested the waters by opening up slightly with my work friends. Being met with their support and gentle encouragement made me take a few more baby steps – speaking to seniors and giving them small bits of information I was comfortable sharing.
The positive and supportive responses from my managers gave me the courage to be more open and candid. It also meant that, eventually, I could talk openly with the wider team. Often, through speaking about what I was experiencing, my workmates felt like they could share their experiences/challenges with me. It became self-fulfilling; I talk, they talk, people feel heard and alleviated.
Getting to a place of psychological safety required my first tentative step to be met with a confident and compassionate stride from those I opened up to. It’s a two-way street. I know that had I not been met with an empathetic response from the people I spoke to, I would have retreated, never to come out and speak about my challenges again. This would have not only impacted my own wellbeing, but also negatively impacted my relationship with my wonderful team.
Initiatives
I recognise what worked for me might not work for everyone, but active check-ins and conversations are where the answers lie.
There are companies that now have Mental Health First Aiders. I’m proud to be one at 2CV and to work at a company that has invested in this training with MHFA England. The course was fantastic, and I strongly recommend all companies look into doing it. It’s a financial investment that reaps rewards. 2CV now has a hub of people that the rest of our colleagues can approach when an ear is needed. We can keep an eye out for signs of poor mental health and check in. We can signpost colleagues to external support groups.
EAPs (Employee Assistance Programmes) are one of the support systems that might already be available at your company. These can often include, or refer individuals, to a course of therapy or counselling.
Note my use of ‘active’ above. This means to ask questions with the intention of supporting a person and really listening to what is being said, sometimes reading between the lines, and then continuing to check in with a person. I can attest to how much this helped me - I was so grateful for it and I want to be able to offer the same support to others.
Leadership
Another thing that really helped me was hearing from my Managing Director in a company email about a challenging time she had experienced. I thought that if she could talk about it, then I didn’t have to hide what I was going through. When our leaders talk openly about mental health, it really is a barrier breaker.
Some of these suggestions (and more) might already be in place at your company: 74% of market researchers feel they are emotionally and socially supported at work, which is something we should be incredibly proud of as an industry.
But in trying times it tends to be the non-commercial side of businesses that get pushed down the priority list, and often this is the time when it can be most needed. Internal wellbeing working groups should include at least one member of leadership at the helm. It shows that it’s not an ‘extra-curricular’, ’nice to have’ activity but something the company is focussed on and is actively prioritising.
Minoritised groups
The MRS/Opinium tracker also shows a strong link between minoritised groups and mental health. Stress / anxiety is higher amongst women (27% vs. 20% for men), younger employees (29% vs 15% for 55+), LGBTQ+ (44% vs 20% for straight) and ethnic minorities (31% vs 21% for white).
Growing up in my Keralan household, crying was shamed out of children. Perhaps a lot of us can relate to the ‘Come on, you’re not a baby, why are you crying?’ response, but this had me thinking while I was growing up that emotions needed to be suppressed. I’m a very emotional person, so keeping a lid on those feelings takes up a lot of energy and is damaging to my wellbeing. It was something I needed to actively unlearn as an adult in my 30s.
It made me realise that our colleagues who have moved here from abroad and first gen-ers, like myself, might not feel the same level of comfort in being open about stresses and strains that might be impacting their work, even when asked. It’s important to be aware of that imbalance – what works for one doesn’t work for all. In these cases, your approach might need to come from a completely different angle.
This is why regular, private 1-2-1 chats and open company-wide conversations and discussions around the topic both need to become ‘normal’ in the workplace.
Keep the conversation going
Mind says that each year, approximately 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem. Luckily we are getting to a place where it feels safer to talk about it with less taboo. But let’s be clear, there’s still a long way to go, and as mentioned above, possibly even further within minoritized communities.
Of those that suffer from a mental health disability 43% believe it has put them at a disadvantage in their career. This is why the message ‘it’s okay not to be okay’ needs to be repeated, and the conversation needs to continue openly within a company.
It can be very easy for mental health and wellbeing initiatives to be lip service. Keeping the conversation going with an employee ensures that there is action and accountability. It’s so easy to ask the question ‘how are you?’ and take the stock answer of ‘yeah, good thanks, how are you?’. Instead, it is important to take note of changes in character or behaviour; alterations in deliveries or work and other stress indicators.
Talk to all your employees
While the tracker reports that 76% of the industry feel like they belong at their company, perhaps conversations with these individuals will be easier than with the remaining 24%, but conversations need to happen for all.
When I was keeping my battles bottled up, I didn’t give my colleagues, managers, and work friends the opportunity to support me in the way I needed. When I did eventually open up, the support I received was exactly what I needed and more. If you currently feel like you need support and are keeping it under wraps, please give your work community the opportunity to show up and support you in the way you need.
Top 5 take outs
- Make sure your teams know about any support systems and EAPs available to them to support them through a time of low mental health. Remind your organisation about these often
- Leaders - start making your workplace a safe place to talk about mental wellbeing by speaking openly about it
- If you are struggling, give your colleagues the opportunity to be the support system you need – bottling it up could harm you and your relationships in the long run
- Be aware that what works for one won’t work for all. Be extra mindful of barriers faced by minoritized groups before feeling safe enough to open up
- Your job as the listener is not to solve the issue, but to listen with a compassionate ear
Biography
Anne Cunliffe has worked in the market research industry for 17 yrs, with 14 of them at 2CV in the Quant Operations Team as a Senior Consultant. She is also co-chair of Colour of Research (CORe).