Emotional well being as defined by the Mental Wellbeing Foundation is “A positive sense of wellbeing which enables an individual to be able to function in society and meet the demands of everyday life” Positive mental wellbeing allows people to realize their full potential, cope with the stresses of life, work productively, and make meaningful contributions to their communities.
Simply put, emotional health means that one can bounce back from setbacks and thrive despite problems!
To begin with, decreased emotional well-being is usually related to mental wellbeing concerns such as stress, depression, and anxiety. These in turn can lead to:
Work-related stress could ultimately manifest as heart disease, back pain, headaches, gastrointestinal disturbances or various minor illnesses; as well as psychological effects.
The mental well-being of an employee at work can be triggered by various factors, such as:
Here are ways in which some key body systems react.
Under stress, muscles tense up. The contraction of muscles for extended periods can trigger tension headaches, migraines and various musculoskeletal conditions.
Stress can make you breathe harder and cause rapid breathing — or hyperventilation — which can bring on panic attacks in some people
Acute stress — stress that is momentary, such as being stuck in traffic — causes an increase in heart rate and stronger contractions of the heart muscle. Blood vessels that direct blood to the large muscles and to the heart dilate, increasing the amount of blood pumped to these parts of the body. Repeated episodes of acute stress can cause inflammation in the coronary arteries, thought to lead to heart attack.
Esophagus
Stress may prompt you to eat much more or much less than you usually do. If you eat more or different foods or increase your use of tobacco or alcohol, you may experience heartburn, or acid reflux.
Stomach
Your stomach can react with "butterflies" or even nausea or pain. You may vomit if the stress is severe enough.
Bowels
Stress can affect digestion and which nutrients your intestines absorb. It can also affect how quickly food moves through your body. You may find that you have either diarrhea or constipation.
When stressed — physically or psychologically — the body suddenly shifts its energy resources to fighting off the perceived threat. In what is known as the “fight or flight" response, the sympathetic nervous system signals the adrenal glands to release adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones make the heart beat faster, raise blood pressure, change the digestive process and boost glucose levels in the bloodstream. Once the crisis passes, body systems usually return to normal.
Adrenal glands
When the body is stressed, the brain sends signals from the hypothalamus, causing the adrenal cortex to produce cortisol and the adrenal medulla to produce epinephrine —sometimes called the "stress hormones."
Liver
When cortisol and epinephrine are released, the liver produces more glucose, a blood sugar that would give you the energy for "fight or flight" in an emergency.
In men,excess amounts of cortisol, produced under stress, can affect the normal functioning of the reproductive system. Chronic stress can impair testosterone and sperm production and cause impotence.
In women stress can cause absent or irregular menstrual cycles or more-painful periods. It can also reduce sexual desire.
A Harvard study shows that for every $1 invested on wellness programs absenteeism costs fall by $2.73 (Savings to cost ratio $2.73 : $1). How are these costs realized? Absenteeism produces overtime related costs for hourly employees, and training costs in situations where absenteeism results in termination. The same research shows that for every $1 invested on wellness programs medical costs fall be $3.27 (Savings to cost $3.27 : $1).