Shana

What barriers do you think still exist when talking about mental health in the workplace?

Inherent fear that people will think you are unfit for work or less capable than the next person. The stigma in society becomes even stronger when you think of someone who has the power over your livelihood.

How has lockdown affected your mental health?

Working from home with your husband, while trying to also ensure your son is doing his schoolwork and helping him with class, has been the ultimate stressor. Feeling that you are not giving your all to any of those things (work/family) leads to an immense guilt that you are not good enough or that someone else could be doing a better job.

How does Kantar support the mental health of our colleagues?

Being comfortable talking to my manager or other colleagues has been extremely helpful. Instituting “No-Meeting Fridays” has also been a relief, giving me time to catch up or feel ok about taking lunch with my family. Just knowing that it is OK to turn work off when I need to, is a huge help.

What is your number one tip for looking after your mental health?

Talking to others… keeping it all inside only makes it worse and will eventually break you (it did me). Talk to anyone you feel comfortable talking to and just start letting it out and see where it takes you. My favourite quote is ‘We can’t direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails’ and I feel that is how I try to manage. I can’t make the things that give me anxiety or make me depressed go away, but I can talk about them and figure out how to react to them better.

Read more about mental health at Kantar.