Originally published in Deccan Herald

With work from home becoming a norm due to Covid-19, a survey has revealed that 59 per cent men interviewed admitted that work-related stress is affecting their personal lives.

With the pandemic going on and the third wave of Covid-19 approaching, the importance of mental wellbeing along with physical wellbeing has been increasing, according to a survey by job site SCIKEY Market Network.

The survey revealed that 59 per cent men interviewed admitted to work stress affecting their personal lives in comparison to 56 per cent women.

With the work from home norm and increased workload, employees are facing challenges with their jobs, which is taking a toll on their mental health and personal lives, the survey has revealed.

The survey was conducted by SCIKEY Market Network among 2,500 participants across the metro cities in India during June 20-26, 2021.

According to the survey, only 23 per cent men said they can rely on a supervisor when asked about the workplace environment.

About 20 per cent men feel their workplace is not supportive in comparison to 16 per cent women, while 68 per cent men said they are at times distracted during the work hours compared to 77 per cent women respondents, it noted.

As work has always been an integral factor for most men due to family reliability and responsibility, the job loss has also been a factor contributing to the stress which eventually leads to future concerns, the survey revealed.

Over 22 per cent men have been affected due to the job loss and 60 per cent are concerned about their future, it said.

On the other hand, only 17 per cent women are found to be affected due to the job loss and 27 per cent are worried about their future, it added.

The survey also said that when it comes to workload, only 30 per cent men stated it as an issue and only 25 per cent believed that work expectations are beyond their capacity to deliver.

Although, 35 per cent feel that there is no line between their personal and professional lives, the survey revealed that men found unrealistic deadline (22 per cent), overwhelming number of issues (20 per cent), interpersonal conflicts and violence (7 per cent), poor problem solving (22 per cent) and poor communication (23 per cent) to be the factors contributing to increasing the stress and affecting their personal lives altogether.

Further, the finding suggested that the common symptoms of stress found in men and women respectively are frequent episodes of aggression (40 per cent and 33 per cent), mood swings (52 per cent and 50 per cent), yelling at loved ones (33 per cent and 27 per cent), headache (48 per cent and 67 per cent), and physical tension (20 per cent and 33 per cent).

"The third wave of Covid seems to be approaching soon enough, leading to the extension of work from home, making it challenging for employees to balance personal and work life. The value added to the economy by people who are at work and have or have had mental health problems is currently very high," SCIKEY Market Network co-founder Karunjit Kumar Dhir said.

During this period, it is of the utmost importance to discuss and prioritize mental wellbeing of employees at the workplace, he added.