Impact Of A Good Boss On Your Mental Health: 5 Factors
Is your boss affecting your mental health? There is a greater sense of the impact of a good boss on your mental health. It could serve as a catalyst for positive psychological well-being, while if you end up with an unpleasant or controlling boss, it can have negative effects on your self-esteem and overall mental well-being.
Investigation suggests that for almost 70% of people, their manager has more impact on your mental health than your therapist or your doctor, and equals the impact of your partner.
In this blog, we’ll explore the impact a good boss can have on mental health, as well as the negative consequences that can come from working with a boss who exhibits unpleasant or controlling behavior.
Impact of a good boss on your mental health:
Clear communication is the key. We work for the same mission and vision of the organization and aligning intention is a daily practice that we must follow in any workplace. A boss who exhibits qualities like empathy, understanding, and effective communication can significantly contribute to the mental well-being of their employees and help them perform better. Here are some ways a supportive boss positively affects mental health:
1) Increased self-esteem: I ran into the most abusive, insecure and narcissistic boss at my first job, she killed my inner glow every day and loved to put me down in every possible way. The only reason I could understand: it took her 20 years to be in the position she was in and I sat next to her when she was in her early 20s.
She was experienced and talented and all I needed from her was guidance and training, but I had to leave that job within 6 months and faced criticism from people around me for not delivering enough. She crushed my self esteem and I am still reminded of that by my relatives who have no idea what I was dealing with at the time.
It would have been a different story if she had helped me by acknowledging the efforts I put in and giving me constructive feedback to improve my performance. It happens to many of us and some people never regain their lost balance.
2) Improved Job Satisfaction: A supportive boss creates a positive work environment that fosters job satisfaction. When employees feel valued and appreciated, they are more likely to experience a sense of satisfaction and happiness in their roles. This, in turn, has a positive impact on mental well-being and overall job performance.
3) Safe Space: A positive manager is also a leader who can choose to lead by example and be the champion of positive leadership. My current manager is a case in point, she puts her manager hat on and off as the situation is and has helped me feel confident expressing my concerns and challenges in my workplace.
We need leaders who not only know how to get people working to achieve the organization’s mission, but also give their employees space and resources to help them perform better. This has a significant impact of a good boss on your mental health.
4) Open communication channels: Adding to the safe space, a boss who has open and transparent communication makes employees feel comfortable discussing any work-related concerns or personal challenges they may be facing.
5) Work-Life Balance: A conscientious boss understands the importance of work-life balance for himself and supports his employees in achieving it. This allows people to maintain a healthy balance between their professional and personal lives, which leads to better mental health and reduced burnout.
The detrimental effects of an unpleasant or controlling boss
Now that we’ve discussed the positive impact of a good boss on your mental health, let’s see what happens when you end up with the opposite. Ending up with a boss like the one I had at my first job, a boss who exhibits unpleasant or controlling behavior can have serious negative consequences on his mental health. Here are some ways a toxic boss can affect mental well-being:
- Decreased self-esteem: This constant negative feedback erodes self-esteem and confidence, leading to self-doubt and a sense of inadequacy.
- Major stress: A toxic boss often creates a hostile work environment filled with excessive pressure, unrealistic demands, and constant micromanagement. This leads to elevated levels of stress, anxiety, and even feelings of helplessness among employees.
- Without freedom of creativity: Controlling bosses tend to restrict all movement of their employees, leaving little room for autonomy or creative expression. This stifles innovation, reduces job satisfaction, and has a negative impact on mental well-being.
- Emotional Exhaustion and Burnout: The constant stress of working with an unpleasant or controlling boss can lead to emotional exhaustion and burnout. Employees can experience fatigue, cynicism, and detachment, which significantly affects their mental health and overall quality of life.
Final note…
The impact of a good boss on your mental health is substantial. A good boss who fosters a supportive and caring work environment can positively contribute to the mental well-being of their employees, increasing job satisfaction, self-esteem and overall happiness. On the other hand, an unpleasant or controlling boss can severely diminish mental well-being, causing stress, anxiety, and a variety of negative emotions. We can choose how we want to be treated by treating others well, with some limits and discipline.