By EMA Health and Safety Facilitator Peter Simunovich
OPINION: For a brief moment, the workplace world seemed to understand: mental health is essential. The Covid-19 pandemic forced organisations to acknowledge the psychological toll of stress, uncertainty and isolation.
Companies invested in mental health initiatives, implemented support systems, and had difficult but necessary conversations about wellbeing. But now, as the pandemic fades into memory, a troubling pattern is re-emerging. The urgency around mental health is diminishing, and many organisations are returning to the old mindset of treating it as a “nice to have” rather than a workplace necessity.
This shift is dangerous. Mental health in the workplace is not just about crisis intervention, it’s about preventing slow harm – the gradual, often unnoticed deterioration of wellbeing that erodes employee performance, engagement and, ultimately, their ability to function effectively.
Slow harm manifests in many ways: chronic stress, burnout, reduced cognitive function and, notably, nocturnal anxiety – a phenomenon called ‘allostatic load’. Although initially psychological in nature, it can transition to physiological illness and can quietly undermine both professional and personal lives.
Minor changes
Mental health decline often does not happen in dramatic moments. Instead, it unfolds in a series of seemingly minor changes: a little more exhaustion at the end of the day, a slightly shorter temper, a gradual loss of motivation. These shifts accumulate over time, and by the time people recognise a problem, the damage has often already taken hold.
One of the most insidious aspects of slow harm is that we are wired not to notice it immediately. Making learners aware of this issue is a feature of the health and safety training I facilitate on behalf of the EMA.
Just as our brains adapt to small changes in our environment, making them feel normal over time, we also adapt to increasing levels of stress and dysfunction. People frequently say, “I should have seen this coming,” but the reality is that gradual deterioration is hard to perceive in real-time.
Recognising this is key. Rather than expecting ourselves to have perfect foresight, we need systems in place that help us detect and address issues before they become crises.
One of the most common but overlooked manifestations of slow harm is nocturnal anxiety – the experience of negative, intrusive thoughts disrupting sleep.
In the quiet of the night, the mind, freed from the distractions of the day, can spiral into worry, reliving past mistakes or catastrophising future events. When unchecked, this pattern reinforces itself: stress disrupts sleep, poor sleep increases fatigue, worsening stress, and the cycle continues.
Nocturnal anxiety can make people feel as though they are losing control, which is one of the most disempowering experiences a person can have. This loss of control extends beyond the night affecting the workday, manifesting as increased irritability, reduced focus, and a diminished ability to handle workplace challenges.
Breaking the cycle
The good news is that there are ways to break the cycle of nocturnal anxiety and take back control. One of the most effective techniques, which I teach in my training courses with EMA learners, is mental redirection. When a negative thought appears, rather than engaging with it, actively replace it with a positive or neutral image.
Imagine physically crumpling up the negative thought and throwing it away. Replace it with something productive such as visualising a relaxing scene or thinking of an enjoyable upcoming activity. The purpose is to teach our brains to become goal-orientated rather than anxiety driven.
Another technique is ‘structured visualisation’. One individual who suffered from severe nocturnal anxiety found relief by mentally planning a trip to Europe every night. She would think through every detail: booking the flight, packing her suitcase, arriving at the airport.
She never made it to the plane in her mind; she was asleep long before. This method works because the brain cannot effectively multitask distress and detailed visualisation at the same time. By shifting focus, people can short-circuit the anxiety loop.
Breathing techniques, progressive muscle relaxation, and establishing a pre-sleep routine that minimises screen exposure and maximises relaxation can also help restore control.
Most importantly, acknowledging the issue rather than ignoring it empowers individuals to take action before the slow harm escalates into something more severe.
Workplace mental health must not be treated as a passing trend or a crisis response mechanism – it must be embedded into the culture of organisations.
Businesses invest heavily in physical safety, ensuring that employees are protected from hazards. Mental health should be given the same level of attention because psychological strain can be just as damaging as physical injury.
This means going beyond basic mental health first aid. While it is crucial to have immediate support available for those in crisis, organisations must also address the root causes of stress and anxiety.
The value of investing in mental health training
Training employees to recognise slow harm, implementing proactive wellness programmes, and fostering an environment where psychological safety is prioritised are essential steps.
A workplace that genuinely values mental health does not wait until employees are burnt out or experiencing breakdowns. It recognises the signs of deterioration early, provides the tools for self-management, and creates a culture where mental wellbeing is as fundamental as job performance.
Good mental health in the workplace is not an optional benefit; it is a fundamental requirement for long-term organisational success. As we move beyond the immediate crisis of the pandemic, we must resist the temptation to relegate mental wellbeing to the background. Human beings are an organisation’s most valuable asset, and it seems more than a little ironic that we will invest in the maintenance of vehicles, machinery and tools but not in the wellbeing of the people under our care.
Slow harm is insidious precisely because it is easy to overlook. By cultivating awareness, equipping employees with practical tools, and fostering a culture that treats mental health as essential, organisations can prevent deterioration before it takes hold.
Ultimately, workplace mental health is about giving people back their control – over their thoughts, their wellbeing, and their professional lives. In an era where burnout and anxiety are at all-time highs, reclaiming that control is not just beneficial, it’s imperative.
For more information on the EMA’s health and safety courses, follow this link: Health and Safety Courses
