When the conditions need to change too

Personal skills can’t solve every source of pressure

A small team takes on another contract, but the deadlines and number of staff stay the same. The manager recommends that employees take short breaks. Breaks can be a useful part of the day, but the workload remains unchanged. A discussion about resilience should include capacity, priorities and available resources too.

The WHO overview of mental health at work lists excessive workloads and little control over work among the risks. It also recommends organisational measures that change working conditions. These are general recommendations for workplaces, not proof that any particular adjustment will resolve every difficulty an individual faces.

Describe the gap between the demands and the available capacity. Instead of saying, “This is impossible,” try: “We can finish two of the three tasks by Friday. We need to agree on the order or move one of the deadlines.” This wording makes the problem and the decision that needs to be made clear. It doesn’t promise to deliver everything just to keep the conversation pleasant.

If you own the business, this might mean narrowing the scope of a service, turning down a new deadline or arranging help. If the decision isn’t yours, ask for clear priorities and confirmation of any changes. You might not get a suitable answer straight away. In that case, it makes sense to look for other available support and ways to adjust the situation. The aim isn’t to put all the responsibility on one side, but to address the specific source of pressure as well as your own response.