There's a Better Way to Deal With the Stressors of an Uncertain World
When I recently traveled to Cambodia, I saw a vivid example of what happens when roots go untended.
I was in Miami last week to meet with a group of psychologists and business leaders I’ve been helping as consulting editor on a book about the impacts of mental health on people and business.
You can probably guess: Mental health issues—most notably, rising rates of anxiety and depression—interfere with our professional and personal lives in many ways.
Consider impacts at work: Nearly six out of ten employees—more among young employees— reported at least one mental health challenge in the 2022 McKinsey Employee Mental Health and Wellbeing Survey. Six out of ten! And the consequences of this, according to McKinsey, include the following:
They are twice as likely to be disengaged,
Three times as likely to have low job satisfaction and
Four times as likely to think about leaving.
But here’s what astounds me: People with mental health challenges still face stigma, as unkind, unhelpful, and unproductive as that is. Indeed, given the current state of the world—and its impact on most of us, with or without mental health issues—it’s like surrounding ourselves with funhouse mirrors at a carnival. The real world looks otherwise.
Let me unpack this a little.
The Role of Stigma
“To be ill is to be guilty,” Susan Sontag wrote in her essay “Illness as Metaphor.”
While Sontag wrote those words more than 50 years ago, her insights apply equally well today, when 9 out of 10 people with mental illness report that stigma has harmed their lives.
So, why is stigma so sticky?
Society tends to attach moral or character judgments to people who suffer from illness, Sontag explained, in part because we are afraid of the things we stigmatize; and stigma helps us imagine we are somehow distanced from those who are suffering and free of the cause of their suffering.
But, perhaps, especially in today’s uncertain world, that is neither true nor helpful.
Getting to the Unexamined Roots of a Collective Sickness
I am not a psychologist. I also understand that mental health issues have causes unrelated to the state of the world.
But I do enjoy writing books with psychologists. Case-in-point: My collaboration with emotional intelligence expert Daniel Goleman helped me understand that how we navigate the emotions related to living in a fast-changing world powerfully impacts whether we believe we can, in some way, positively engage in it, which, of course, affects whether we try.
Today, however, there seems to be an unspoken expectation that we absorb the facts of a changing climate and all it portends, of threats to our democracy and all that portends, and new technological innovations that, once again, pose a threat to millions of jobs … and, well, just carry on. Chin up, my friend.
However, uncertainty is bound to affect our wellbeing, performance and productivity, and relationships in families, communities, workplaces, and beyond. But we are barely even talking about how it is doing so.
So, what do we do?
The Cure
If you allow me to use the word “cure” loosely, consider this: Many of us get caught up in the cognitive dissonance of feeling we need to leave our concerns about the state of the world at the door when we go to work, meet up with friends, or take care of our families.
Sure, we know we are living through unprecedented uncertainty and more crises than we can track. But really, getting that report in on time is the most important thing right now. Or showing up at the gym. Or making a nutritious dinner for the family.
Of course, all of the ordinary things in our lives are important. But as we make space for them, shouldn’t we also make space for addressing the worries about the world so many of us are carrying?
This space can begin to be created — in workplaces, schools, community centers, or the kitchen table — with authentic conversation about what it all feels like. We can then move on to learning valuable strategies for managing the emotions triggered by the times we live in. Then, we can focus on a more realistic and sustainable path to engagement and action.
It may not be easy to do this. But it will lead to more good things than the alternative of trying to shut out the world and judging and sidelining the people who remind us that it is an unhealthy and unhelpful strategy. Among them are better mental health, improved productivity, and more engagement in the world.
Warmly,
Lisa
P.S. I just posted a free new 34-page white paper on Leading Well When the Way Is Unclear. Whether you are leading an organization, leading your family, or leading your life, it helps to lead with courage. You can download it here.