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Author Dr. Sarb Johal: 5 Ways That Businesses Can Help Promote The Mental Wellness Of Their Employees

Connect — The psychological literature shows that the biggest protector in times of crisis is social connection. Staying connected helps us to feel cared for and part of a supportive social network, so it’s important that we do everything we can to stay in touch with the people we know and love. Remember, social distancing really means physical distancing. If your movements are currently restricted, attempt to connect with others, either online or by picking up the phone. Even in lockdown, you can still talk to your neighbor over the fence or say ‘hi’ to people on your walk, provided that you stay an appropriate distance away and/or wear a mask.

As a part of my series about the “5 Ways That Businesses Can Help Promote The Mental Wellness Of Their Employees” I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Sarb Johal.

Dr. Sarb Johal helped develop New Zealand’s world-leading communications response that saw Covid-19 stamped out. Since 2009, he has helped the New Zealand and UK governments, as well as the World Health Organization, develop psychosocial responses to some of the major crises of the last decade, including the H1N1 pandemic, the Canterbury earthquakes, and the Christchurch mosque shootings. He is the author of Steady: A Guide to Better Mental Health Through and Beyond the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive into our discussion, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?

I became a psychologist by accident — which is not an uncommon experience of many psychologists. I originally started a Business Economics and Accounting degree — but it rapidly became clear that this wasn’t what I thought higher education should be about when they essentially said, “here is your book-list, you’ll be tested on them at the end of the term.” I would not find that particularly stimulating.

But I had chosen Psychology as my minor subject, and I was spending all my time reading about that. I realized although I’d never studied psychology before, it was what I had been looking for. So I ended up having to drop out of University and starting again the following year. I completed my degree, followed immediately by my Ph.D., (having enormous fun making ends meet financially by DJ’ing in nightclubs as a sideline throughout my time studying — meaning I left this phase of my life with almost no debt). I went on to further study for a second doctorate in Clinical Psychology from 2000 to ’03 at University College London, and then moving to New Zealand in 2005.

I have had a very diverse and unusual career in psychology, mainly because I have followed my interests rather than any specific traditional career path. Although I may not have as much money or status as if I had followed other paths, my career has been very satisfying and seemingly influential in its own small way. I once went to a seminar where the speaker advised us to not be afraid of the random walk career’. This really resonated with me. I think that when we set off on highly targeted career paths, they may satisfy in their own right, but we might cut ourselves off from equally or potentially even-more rewarding alternative pathways. I have walked on several alternative pathways, and I have loved it.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

I think that one of the most interesting things is a realisation of how influential you can be and then getting comfortable with that flexing your influence responsibly. When the Canterbury Earthquake sequence began in NZ in 2010, many of the documents circulating around the Government indicated they thought that the recovery from the earthquakes would be complete within two years. Starting to push back against this timeline in my advisory work was difficult, and I was a lone voice. However, over time, this started to move. Eventually I gave voice to my projections based on extrapolating from other disasters that it would be likely that we were looking at a 10–20 year timeline. I said this in a documentary screened on national TV and I was anxious about how this would be received. In fact, I received nothing but positive feedback for saying this out loud and publicly.

Can you share a story with us about the most humorous mistake you made when you were first starting? What lesson or take-away did you learn from that?

As a Ph.D. student at the University of Cardiff in Wales, I remember giving a presentation to the whole Faculty one day. It was a big deal, and I wasn’t exactly nervous, but I knew important people were going to be present. I remember blanking out in the middle of saying a word as I was presenting. I literally froze physically, in mid-gesture (I talk with my hands a lot), having locked eyes with a good friend and fellow student in the audience. I held his gaze, and he held mine. He smiled. Then, as my predicament dawned on him, a frown spread across his face. I remember he stopped it, smiled again and began to nod his head.

In the meantime, my own internal dialogue was racing away: “You’ve stopped in the middle of a word. This probably looks very odd. I’ll just keep looking at Matt — wait, he looks worried. Oh, now he’s nodding at me. Right, I’m sure it’ll come back to me. Any second now. OK, you can breathe, just breathe and it will come back. Ah, that’s right, that’s what I was saying. Carry on.”

All this happened in the matter of a few seconds, and yes, it looked odd. But I picked up from the middle of the word, completed it and the sentence, apologized, and remarked on how odd an experience that was for me and probably for the audience too. That got a small laugh, and I carried on.

What did I learn from this early episode in my career in which I have made countless presentations and media appearances? Stuff happens. Remember to breathe and wait, and you’ll most likely get through it. Don’t pretend the mistake or whatever happened actually happened. Pause, reflect briefly, and move on. The audience wants you to be great, but most of all they will recognise you are human. Forgetting what you were going to say is all too human. I realised that my forgetting probably deepened the engagement of my audience, as it went off-script for what could have been a dry academic presentation. From that day forward, I have tried to embrace my mistakes. It is not always easy, but acknowledging them connects you to your audience in deeper ways than mere knowledge transfer.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

One of the most influential people in my career was the late Professor Alan Clarke, who taught me when I read for my Bachelor’s degree in Hull. Not only was he a renowned psychologist in revolutionising the education and care for those with learning disabilities, but he was a kind soul who took me under his wing. His gentle but determined pursuit of intellectual rigour, depth and balance inspired me deeply.

He also offered me wise and practical advice. I remember making an appointment to see him one day, asking his advice on several choices I needed to make as I approached the end of my degree. Although I had been offered a place for further study at the University of Hull, he advised me to move away and experience other places, as he thought it now only good for my career, but for my own personal development. He also gave me some of the most useful advice of my career: “Be nice to the porters and the secretaries wherever you work — they are the people who will most likely earn less that you, but can both make your life hell or very pleasant depending on your own attitude and behaviour.”

What advice would you suggest to your colleagues in your industry to thrive and avoid burnout?

After what has been a very busy year, I am starting to reduce my commitments and trying to do less, and spend more quality time doing them. Burnout for me has started to show itself in weight gain — the heaviest I have ever been in my life, and a sense of lethargy and irritability which challenged me in deep ways, where I recognised that I definitely was not practicing what I was preaching. For me, starting to change this has been relatively simple, but very powerful in only just a few weeks.

Here’s my five suggestions. First, stop working in the evenings and on weekends, if your formal work pattern allows for that. Essentially, stick to as close to a 35 to 40-hour week as possible.

Second, eat less, and eat less often. I have restarted the intermittent fasting schedule I was using when I was training for ultra-marathons: 16 hours fasting, with an 8 hour feeding window. I also have effectively mini-fasts within this window, where I try to only eat three meals, with nothing in between times. I use the Zero Plus app to help me track and stay accountable on this part of my plan.

Third, drink less coffee and more green tea. To be honest, this has felt quite easy now that other parts of my weekly routine are falling into place.

Fourth, go to bed earlier. Sleep not only helps you rest and repair, but it’s also time you are not eating. I was terrible over the last year for late-night eating after I’d finished whatever work I needed to complete, and that continued to make me feel far less than great, both physically and mentally.

Fifth, find exercise that you love, and use that as your base to explore more physical activity. I was late in life to running, and I recognise right now that I’m probably too heavy to run in a way that I would find satisfying. I also tore my right calf twice just walking last year — that’s how hopelessly out of condition I was. So, I’ve started walking further and faster, and have bought a spin bike, an Apple Watch and joined Apple Fitness+ for HIIT, functional strength, and spin bike routines that match where I am at right now. Until I can start running again.

All of this is paying dividends. My mood is much lighter, I’m still getting stuff done, and I can feel myself getting back in shape slowly but surely. Work less, play more. Works for me, and I can highly recommend it to others too.

What advice would you give to other leaders about how to create a fantastic work culture?

A fantastic work culture doesn’t come from fancy mission statements and values written on walls. It doesn’t come from transformative workshops, or great speakers coming to energise your workplace. A great work culture comes from small actions, repeated over time, that spread through the workplace so that people are not just talking a good game, but they are acting on these words too, every day, in ways both big and small. But it starts small, through influential and connected workers who then act as models for the rest of their network. And before you know it, you have the seeds of a positive work culture taking root. Notice and nurture this. It’s easy to miss, but amazing when you can help it to bloom.

Mental health is often looked at in binary terms; those who are healthy and those who have mental illness. The truth, however, is that mental wellness is a huge spectrum. Even those who are “mentally healthy” can still improve their mental wellness. From your experience or research, what are five steps that each of us can take to improve or optimize our mental wellness. Can you please share a story or example for each.

One useful framework is the Five Ways to Wellbeing. These are five simple actions you can do every day to boost your mental health, pick up your energy or pull yourself out of a rut. They don’t cost anything but the rewards can be priceless. When done regularly, the Five Ways are scientifically proven to lift your everyday wellbeing.

The Five Ways are:

1. Connect — The psychological literature shows that the biggest protector in times of crisis is social connection. Staying connected helps us to feel cared for and part of a supportive social network, so it’s important that we do everything we can to stay in touch with the people we know and love. Remember, social distancing really means physical distancing. If your movements are currently restricted, attempt to connect with others, either online or by picking up the phone. Even in lockdown, you can still talk to your neighbor over the fence or say ‘hi’ to people on your walk, provided that you stay an appropriate distance away and/or wear a mask.

2. Give — Doing something nice for a friend or stranger gives a lovely boost to both the giver and the receiver. It could be as simple as paying a compliment, saying thank you, or volunteering your time for a worthy cause. Make giving a regular part of your day, and you’ll find it brings incredible rewards, from unexpected conversations to new friendships, or a renewed sense of purpose. When your wellbeing becomes linked to that of your community, you’ll feel an even deeper sense of connection and belonging.

3. Notice — One of the best ways to activate your internal brake or calming system is to practice mindfulness. This means slowing down, savouring the moment and realizing what is happening all around you. Use all five senses: what can you see, touch, taste, smell and hear? There is joy in simple things, if only we pause long enough to notice.

4. Learn — Consciously seek new experiences, like trying a new class (in-person or online), cooking a new recipe, reading a book in a different genre, or listening to the stories and experiences of people from different backgrounds. Set a challenge that you will enjoy mastering and do a little each day. YouTube is full of how-to videos on everything from changing a bike tire or planting a vegetable garden to learning instruments and foreign languages. Learning something new will give your confidence a boost, bring you satisfaction and give you something new to talk about with friends and loved ones, even if you’re in isolation.

5. Stay active — Exercise is proven to improve your mood but you don’t need to buy expensive equipment or sweat it out doing burpees and push-ups unless you want to — and if you do, that’s great! The key is finding an activity that you enjoy and making it part of your day, like brushing your teeth. Step outside and go for a walk or a bike ride, turn up the music and dance or get in the garden and dig. Focus on making movement fun, notice how great you feel when you’re done and you will want to exercise again tomorrow.

It might help to think of these Five Ways as the mental health equivalent of the 5 a day fruit and vegetables rule. At the beginning of each day, make a plan for how you can tick off as many of the five ways to wellbeing as you can. Review your list at the end of the day and see how many you completed.

Much of my expertise focuses on helping people to plan for after retirement. Retirement is a dramatic ‘life course transition’ that can impact one’s health. In addition to the ideas you mentioned earlier, are there things that one should do to optimize mental wellness after retirement? Please share a story or an example for each.

There’s no magic secret to good ageing — the research says growing old well comes down to a lifetime of health impacts. The basics of housing, economic well being, satisfaction and status at work have a large influence on our wellbeing when we retire.

The New Zealand Health, Work and Retirement Longitudinal Study found people were more likely to age with good physical, mental and social health if they also had greater economic well being, satisfying and higher-status work, home ownership, and housing satisfaction. Older people with poor physical, mental and social health were more likely to be experiencing economic, employment, housing and care problems. They were more likely to be in situations that could worsen poor health and were more likely to have high healthcare needs in the future.

It’s also important to maintain an active lifestyle as we enter our 50s. This is when we face challenges such as muscle mass loss, but also social connection challenges such as empty-nest syndrome, or perhaps life challenges such as divorces and separations. Maintaining a good friendship circle can be challenging, but it seems to be important for our health and wellbeing into retirement. So, pursue your interests, and make sure that at least some of these are social. It will stand you in good stead in later life.

How about teens and pre teens. Are there any specific new ideas you would suggest for teens and pre teens to optimize their mental wellness?

It’s been a challenging time for children and pre-teens in this Covid-19 environment. For many, they may not have been to school much at all over the past year, relying on online classes for school instruction and interactions. For pre-teens and teens, one of the biggest things that may have missed out on is social interaction with their peers. It’s a time in their development where they are paying more attention to what their peers are doing as they develop their own identities separate from their family of origin.

I know people will worry about scholastic achievement for their children and their schooling, but make sure you don’t neglect finding ways for them to connect socially with their friends, and to connect with them in ways that are safe, but engaging too. But they’ll also be craving attention from you, too. In a year when we have thrown screen time guidelines out of the window in order for us to connect with each other or just soak up time and attention, perhaps it’s time we started wrestling back a bit more control of passive screen time, and at least make sure we are spending more active time together with our pre-teens and teens, both with and without screens involved.

Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story?

It may sound slightly strange to choose fiction, but I’m a great believer in reading widely in order to understand and relish the richness of the human experience. While I was finishing up the writing of my Ph.D. I was also reading, “A Suitable Boy” by Vikram Seth, published in 1993 — one of the longest novels ever written in English. Although I was born into the Sikh faith, the 1970s and 80s were a tough time to be a south Asian kid in London from an immigrant family. The racism I experienced at school was direct, personal, confronting and scary, including experiencing significant bullying in my pre-teen years. As a result, I was reluctant to own this identity and really didn’t explore it very much until well into my 20s. Reading this book was a fascinating insight into a rich and diverse world set in post-partition post-independence India. It offers interesting personal stories with a parallel commentary that is both satirical and earnest in describing the events of the time.

It was a wonderfully rich re-introduction to the wider world to which I belonged, but had not yet found my place. My exploration of this part of my identity continues.

If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

I would love to see a movement of reducing snacking on processed foods in modern life. I know it sounds like a small thing, but I think it could have profound effect on how we view food, feed ourselves, allocate resources more wisely for food production in the context of climate change and food poverty, and on metabolic disorders such as diabetes and the load that these place on health systems — which is growing rapidly. Encouraging adults to eat just three times a day and drinking water and not eating in between meals is a first world problem. But by adopting this feeding lifestyle, we can also affect how food is produced and distributed around the world as we change demand, and how food producers see the market. And I think that if we are wise, we can then start to make sure that the food we produce can make its way to where it is truly needed, rather than expanding the waistlines of those who are immersed in the modern western diet and lifestyle.


Author Dr Sarb Johal: 5 Ways That Businesses Can Help Promote The Mental Wellness Of Their Employee was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.