Achieving a Healthy Work/life balance & the impact of Gender on Mental Health

1. Achieving a Healthy Work/life balance & the impact of Gender on Mental Health Queen’s University Belfast John Foster 2014 Carecall

2. Course Objectives:Learning Outcomes • Develop strategies to manage work/life balance • Balance in personal lifestyles • Planning for success in work and life • Develop self-confidence in a pressurised world • Identify sources of support

3. The Power of Emotions Fear of the Unknown ‘People don’t know me’ Challenging NEGATIVE self-talk ‘Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus’ TRUST vs. MISTRUST

4. Bombarded by Life Choices • Work relationships • Family relationships • Friendships • Managing pressure to be “all things to all people” • Alcohol, drugs, technology, gambling, sex • Self-doubt, self-criticism • Emotional Intelligence

5. Introduction to mental health • Emotional Health and Mental Wellbeing • Key elements as identified by World Health Organisation (WHO) • Subjective wellbeing - feeling good about yourself • Self-efficacy - self-belief, able to tackle difficult tasks • Autonomy - freedom and choice • Resilience - the ability to cope with the stresses of life • Emotional potential - recognition of the ability to realise one’s emotional potential • Intellectual potential - recognition of the ability to realise one’s intellectual potential • Work productively and fruitfully - making a worthwhile contribution • Social wellbeing - Making a worthwhile contribution to the community • Intergenerational dependence - connectedness and support • World Health Organisation (2003) {adapted}

6. The element of mental wellbeing • Flourishing Mental Health • Emotional wellbeing • Happiness • Confidence and, • The opposite of depression (diagnosis of a complete state of mental health) • Social wellbeing • Good relationships with others • When neglected, is shown to manifest conversely in conduct disordered behaviour, delinquency, interpersonal violence and bullying • Psychological wellbeing • Autonomy and control • Problem solving • Attentiveness or involvement • A sense of coherent identity

7. Aim for flourishing Mental Health Mental health is more than the absence of illness What are you going to do to protect and promoting your emotional health and mental wellbeing in the workplace?

9. Are you working to live or living to work?

10. Common Thinking Errors • Challenging Questions • How do you do your reality testing? • What are alternative explanations? • How do you achieve perspective? • How does goal-directed thinking help?

11. To address gender inequalities requires commitment and action from everyone, at all levels of the organisation • To tackle the unequal representation of women in science requires changing cultures and attitudes across the organisation • The absence of diversity at management and policy-making levels has broad implications which the organisation will examine • The high loss rate of women in science is an urgent concern which the organisation will address • The system of short-term contracts has particularly negative consequences for the retention and progression of women in science, which the organisation recognises • There are both personal and structural obstacles to women making the transition from PhD into a sustainable academic career in science, which require the active consideration of the organisation

12. The Vitruvian Man This image provides the perfect example of Leonardo da Vinci’s keen interest in proportion.

13. Virginia Satir, founding member of Mental Research Institute (MRI)

14. Carol Gilligan • Gender Differences • Images of Self • The Masculine Ascent Up the Steps of Justice • Not All People Are Men • For Whom Do You Care? • In a Different Voice, 1982. Harvard University Press

15. Carol Gilligan, Professor of Psychology, New York University.

16. Steve Biddulph The five truths of manhood 1. You are going to die.2. Life is hard.3. You are not that important.4. Your life is not about you.5. You are not in control of the outcome. Steve Biddulph, Professor of Psychology, Melbourne and Author