Mental Health is Becoming More Important, How Not to Let Stress Eat Us

The uncertainty and changes brought by the pandemic have caused even greater amounts of stress, which are already at impressive levels in business. However, another important trend has emerged, raising awareness of the importance of mental health and the willingness of employers to address it. Although this trend has been slowly developing for decades, it seems that in Croatia, wellbeing and mindfulness have only truly come to life in the business world due to the pandemic, and today in some companies, they stand alongside financial plans.

That caring for personal development and employee wellbeing is extremely important has been known for years by the CEO of KTC, Daliborka Kranjčić, who meditates daily, is in touch with nature, and has completed a four-year program at the School of Personal and Organizational Development to better tackle business and life challenges. In a One on One conversation with Gordan Gelenčer at the Women in Business conference, she shared that for her, personal development consists of very simple components such as daily physical activity, enough sleep, meditation, and ultimately, the essential part of that personal development is developing self-awareness.

– Developing self-awareness is the realization that our views of the world, reactions to the people around us, and emotional responses are largely automated and come from the subconscious. Since over 95 percent of our daily actions appear this way, if we do not develop self-awareness, we have absolutely no control; we are driving on autopilot. Personal development works on raising awareness of subconscious patterns, allowing us to know ourselves better so that we can adapt and navigate the world around us more effectively – Kranjčić defined these hype terms.

A higher level of awareness and critical examination of one’s own reactions provides the opportunity for a more objective view of the situation and understanding the motives and attitudes of those around you, she explained how working on oneself affects employees and, in general, work in a business environment.

This is precisely what was discussed in the panel that followed about how wellbeing and mindfulness are managed in the workplace.

Psychiatry specialist at KBC Zagreb and professor at the Medical Faculty, Martina Rojnić Kuzman, explained at the beginning how stress affects the body. This physiological, evolutionary response enables adaptation and survival, triggering the release of adrenaline that prepares us to face threats, followed by cortisol, which has three possible effects – on immunity, hormonal imbalance, or metabolism (for example, diabetes or protein reduction).

– It is impossible for us to be stressed privately and to be okay at work. It is impossible to avoid spillovers from personal life into business. Avoiding confrontation with the causes of stress will lead to stress eating us. The stress we experience at work should be seen as a friend because it helps us recognize what situation we need to deal with – Rojnić Kuzman said among other things, explaining how to recognize burnout syndrome.

Caring for employees, the possibility of open communication about emotions and mental states has become part of corporate culture. The question arose whether this is a passing trend or if it will persist.

– I cannot answer whether the trend will persist, but we all agree that the most valuable currency is human capital, and we must take care of people much more than we did before. Our people are looking for leaders, not managers, and we must show that every day, regardless of how we feel. The pandemic has certainly accelerated this, but serious corporations are increasingly addressing this topic and will continue to do so – believes Manuela Šola, director of the Communication Laboratory and president of the Supervisory Board of HUP.

Šola also emphasizes that companies are becoming more aware of this because there is a new generation in the labor market, a new type of employee for whom company values are much more important than anything else. They are interested in the company’s socially responsible strategy, and this will also be part of the change.

Corporate trainer, coach, and director of strategic development at VERN’ University, Iva Biondić, shared part of her rich coaching experience as she works for large global companies in many different sectors, for people on six continents. She explained that the role of a coach is to raise awareness of subconscious patterns, and after that, it all depends on the individual how they will and how much they will use the tools they received in training. Do not react, think – that is the mantra Biondić teaches managers. It sounds simple, but it is not easy.

– We are a bundle of emotions; everything that happens is a trigger for something. What is important, what we all do in coaching training, is the development of emotional intelligence, which is not a very alternative concept. Emotional intelligence can be defined as recognizing one’s emotions, knowing how to manage them, and recognizing others’ emotions and managing them. Managers who are emotionally intelligent are more successful; all research shows this – emphasized Biondić, stating that not everyone has to meditate, but they must find their outlet, whether it be dancing or singing.

Currently, the CEO of the brokerage firm Marsh, Iva Roković Lekić, finds her greatest relaxation in singing classes. Despite the extremely stressful sector, the head of Marsh in Croatia says that the company nurtures a relaxed atmosphere, open communication, and friendly relationships. Before entering the financial sector, she was a pilot, which taught her to always be three steps ahead in business.

– Handling stress in a piloting job is different; it taught me that I must be three steps ahead because in the air, if you don’t have that, you’re dead. These are some of my mental postulates that I adapt to this job and perhaps create additional stress for employees. Preparation is very important; I projected that into this job, and I think that is why we are so successful in Croatia – concluded Roković Lekić with the message that we all have to work anyway, and that is why we must make this business part of life as interesting as possible.

Wellbeing and mindfulness today stand alongside financial

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