[This DrP article was first published on Next Evolution Performance]
We cannot ignore mental health any longer– the business stakes are too high. However, traditional approaches are failing to address the unique challenges faced by high-performing individuals and organisations. Here’s why:
The Promise and Perils of AI in Mental Health
Artificial Intelligence (AI) holds incredible potential for transforming mental health care. AI-powered tools can analyse vast amounts of data to provide personalised recommendations, predict mental health risks, and offer real-time interventions. These capabilities can significantly enhance the effectiveness of mental health strategies, making them more tailored and responsive.
However, the rapid integration of AI also brings challenges. The sheer volume of data and the complexity of AI-driven insights can lead to information overload. High performers, already juggling numerous responsibilities, may find themselves overwhelmed by the constant stream of recommendations and alerts. This paradoxically can lead to increased stress and decision paralysis, counteracting the benefits AI aims to provide. Moreover, no matter how quickly AI-tailored solutions may cause change, that does not mean that these changes will be sustained. Human beings are excellent at yo-yoing between the diet and bingeing equivalents of a range of habits; the more that oscillates, the more helpless and hopeless we become with subsequent rounds.
These are also contingent on how appropriate the AI-tailored solutions are, as they are based on at best a few select parameters used in calculation, without considering the nuances, colours and complexities of human life.
Outdated Strategies in a Rapidly Evolving Landscape
Traditional mental health initiatives often rely on generic lectures or superficial solutions. Raising awareness or supporting your team with another lecture on stress and anxiety, or a fruit bowl, is insufficient. These approaches fail to address the complex neural mechanisms involved in stress and performance, or to think about it from making small enough steps to recharge or spend one’s energy in a wiser way.
Neuroscience research shows that chronic stress can lead to structural changes in the brain, particularly in the prefrontal cortex and amygdala, affecting decision-making and emotional regulation. Generic solutions don’t account for these neurological impacts.
The Talking Trap
While talk therapy has its place, excessive focus on verbal processing without actionable strategies can be counterproductive. In many instances, talking (forever) makes things worse. Most people have some degree of small-t trauma that comes simply from being a human being, and trauma cannot be talked away. Instead, body-focused methods within a tailored and structured system that builds new habits and therefore a new self, are more important.
Neuroimaging studies have shown that rumination, often encouraged by unfocused talk therapy, can increase activity in the default mode network, leading to increased anxiety and decreased problem-solving abilities. When we keep going over the same incidents over and again, analysis causes paralysis. The neural pathways associated with those thoughts, beliefs, actions and feelings intensify. Moreover, did you know that some people cope with the symptoms of trauma by worrying more?
The Performative Wellness Paradox
There’s a growing trend of organisations showcasing their commitment to mental health without implementing effective strategies.
Moreover, there is a growing phenomenon I have observed, where people preach how authentic, vulnerable or compassionate we are. My question is, how is this helpful, or does this entrench us as victims or wedded to a label. The guilt of not adhering to a certain ‘brand’-- for instance a fitness influencer shaming fast food and swearing off fast food, or a wellness advocate never swearing because it’s ‘wrong’, can be exhausting. And, when does the race for Woke end?
Human beings are multifaceted creatures, with feelings and thoughts that may not always be politically correct or palatable to everyone. To allow ourselves to have these feelings and thoughts is to be human, and to live more peacefully; it is not the same as acting on them.
A performative approach not only fails to address real issues but can also create a false sense of security. A study by Deloitte found that while 91% of organisations said they supported mental health, only 25% had actually changed their approach in response to the pandemic.
Perfectionism Paralysis
Let’s talk about the quest for chasing mental health via an allegiance to having the perfect protocols— from X amount of sunlight in the morning to 10000 steps to not touching one’s phone at night– and the guilt from not adhering perfectly can deplete energy even quicker.
This can lead to burnout very quickly, in a case where chasing mental health leads to poorer mental health. In other words, the perfect protocols can lead to paralysis.
Neuroscience research shows that perfectionism is associated with increased activity in the anterior cingulate cortex, leading to heightened error detection and anxiety. This can result in decision paralysis and reduced productivity.
Cultural Blind Spots
Many approaches fail to consider cultural nuances. For instance, in many Asian cultures, people simply soldier on and we don’t just label family members as toxic, much less cut them off. This highlights the need for culturally sensitive mental health strategies. A study in the Journal of Clinical Psychology found that cultural factors significantly influence how mental health issues are perceived and addressed, emphasising the need for tailored approaches.
The Way Forward: #MentalFitness
To address these challenges, I propose the concept of #MentalFitness: growing mental health, while having a life, and not compromising on performance. This approach aligns with recent neuroscientific findings on neuroplasticity and cognitive reserve, suggesting that targeted mental exercises can enhance brain function and resilience.
We consider building sustainable habits into a system that aligns with you, and that grows with you, where tiny actions compound in the right direction.
Ready to skyrocket your performance, productivity and peace without working more hours? Book your free Chemistry Call here. Or, keen on building a healthy organisational culture? Get in touch here.