Do you often feel frustrated at the workplace? There are tons of things you feel like saying, yet you can’t. A toxic workplace results in poor productivity and frustrated employees. As a result, their personal lives are also affected. That’s why it has been suggested to provide peer support for better mental health.
Peer support in the workplace plays a crucial role in the well-being of an employee. It not only supports an individual with better productivity. The peer support programs motivate staff to work together with better collaboration. That’s why when an employee gets peer support in a workplace, it helps the person work better.
What is Peer Support?
Imagine having a friend with whom you can share your tiny details of life. How does it make you feel when you start sharing your long stories or the details of the day? It is important to have a friend who is not only special but also a support system in your life.
Finding such a friend is difficult because oftentimes we are busy in our lives. You may lose touch with your friend and move on to something else. In such a rapid shift, we lose ourselves and get anxious. Prolonged anxiety can lead to various other mental illnesses, like depression and trauma.
However, the role of peer support in offering mental health services can help a person a lot. Peer support is not about clinical therapy but sharing your life stories with someone who has walked in your shoes. In peer support programs, the specialist and the individual share experiences with coping techniques.
Importance of Peer Support
Peer support programs are organized in various workplaces, where therapists are invited and help the employees with their psychological well-being as well. Its importance can’t be overlooked in the workplace because mutual support and understanding help in the long run.
Peer support specialists, when visiting a workplace, help an employee recover from a long-term trauma and gain confidence. Peer support helps in decision-making so that the individual gets the necessary support.
As a result, the quality of life is improved, and they thus outperform in their workplaces as well. The right kind of peer support increases hope and creates a sense of well-being while addressing challenges.
Addressing the Challenges through Peer Support
You may have been facing numerous issues in life; however, you may have been told just to snap out of it. However, that’s not how a problem is resolved in the long run. Peer support specialists help an individual with coping techniques. By learning these techniques, they will know how to deal with challenges in the future.
That’s why addressing the challenges is essential.
Now, in this section, we will learn what kinds of challenges are dealt with in the workplace.
Communication Issues
Many employees in the workplace face communication issues. There could be several causes behind it, maybe due to cultural expectations and backgrounds. Therefore, there could be various misunderstandings, conflicts, and hurt.
Peer support specialists help an individual find the right coping techniques. This helps in ensuring that the employees understand their issues and learn about themselves for the better.
Here are some other solutions offered:
- Active listening
- Empathy
- Constructive feedback
Maintaining Roles and Boundaries
Many individuals do not know their roles and responsibilities in the workplace, which results in unclear expectations and limitations. The employees do not understand how to express their issues and stay unprepared for their future roles.
The support groups offering peer support help the individuals to work and collaborate better so that the employees can be respectful of diverse roles and responsibilities.
Here is one of the solutions that you can apply:
Have you heard about peer monitoring?
There are times when we have our bad days in the workplace and go through some sort of occupational hazard. There was no second thought about it. Eventually, in time, we all felt trapped in our workplaces.
Yet, we can't convey our concerns to our seniors or workplaces. At those places, we want somebody who understands our point of view. Be it a companion, co-worker, or any other person, we want to say things and share concerns that could help us out in the future and make us feel better.
In peer support programs at workplaces, otherwise known as peer monitoring, we come together and share our experiences with someone, let’s say a colleague who is in a better state. We share our experiences with them so they can come together and help each other. It is viewed as a casual approach to helping each other.
When to get Peer Support?
It is essential to know the right time to get peer support. Many employees keep on working hard without getting any peer support in the long run.
There are times when you may feel discouraged and upset about talking about your issues. This affects your health and mental well-being. Get peer support only when you feel:
- You can't talk openly or express your feelings
- You are having difficulty managing your work
- You are attempting to remain persuaded under constant circumstances
- You are attempting to gain a feeling of strengthening, support, and ongoing pressure
Bottom Line
It is important to get the right support in dire times. Knowing how to deal with stress helps you achieve success in the long run. Peer support plays an essential role in improving the work culture, and if you feel the need to get peer support, reach out immediately to the right person.