Our mental health problems can be traced back to many sources, but perhaps one of the most common is our place of work. The everyday stresses of working in an office combined with things going on in our personal lives can add up to a pretty difficult situation when it comes to our mental health. 

Let's say you were seeking a professional psychologist in Bayswater, and they asked you what you thought were the main causes of your mental struggles. What would you say to them? Even if you knew it was the workplace, would you be able to say more precisely what it was that was causing your mental health strife? Below are some of the most common causes of mental health problems in the workplace: 

1. Excessive Workload

The primary source of our mental strain at work is the sometimes crippling workload that we have to somehow manage. When it all starts to feel too much, the stress can manifest itself in other ways: sleepless nights, increased anxiety, irritability and more. An overwhelming workload can even cause some people to almost switch off entirely and seek comfort (and concealment) through sleep, binge-watching TV series and movies, and more, all of which cause them to procrastinate. 

Over time, these mental health struggles can spill over into other areas of life, and even create a vicious cycle at work where mental health problems are causing us to miss work or fall too far behind on tasks to the point where we get in trouble, which then increases our anxiety and depression, and so it goes on. 

2. Business Struggles

If you’re running a business or in a position of leadership in a company, then worrying about the financial well-being of your business, as well as keeping all of your staff members in their jobs, can be the source of tremendous stress and mental strain. Even at the most exciting stages of a company where things are starting up, investment has been put in, and things seem to be moving, the enormity of the risk and the fear of failure continue to linger potentially for years until the company is more established. 

However, even after firmly finding its feet, the stress of maintaining the brand’s image in a volatile market, as well as worrying about the myriad things that could go wrong at any time all continue to take their toll. 

3. Performance Pressure

Besides the sheer amount of work that one has to do in life, there is also the added worry of one’s performance and how that gets evaluated over time. Teachers, for instance, while broadly loving their jobs, face continuous worry about whether enough of their students will pass key annual exams and government assessments. They also face the inspector’s gaze along with the rest of their colleagues at their school or other learning institution. 

For most people, the stress of maintaining a strong performance at all times; not showing weakness in front of one’s bosses, and never dropping the proverbial ball, all add up to some pretty harrowing mental health issues. 

4. Bad Relationships with Colleagues

Finally, one remaining source of mental health issues at work is one’s coworkers. It could be a boss from hell who is impossible to please or who acts inappropriately with staff. Alternatively, it could be a clique or other group of people in the office who victimise and bully their colleagues. That might sound like schoolyard behaviour, but it really happens! 

Imagine thinking you were past the days of torment when you then start to worry every day about walking into work for fear of your boss’s criticism or your colleague’s mockery.