Avoid 'toxic positivity' when discussing current events at work, Calm CPO says

With an endless onslaught of bad news, paired with the continued impact of the pandemic, many employees are feeling emotionally weighed down and looking for someone to talk to. But are employers able to listen?   

Eighty-seven percent of adults feel there has been a constant stream of crises without a break over the last two years, according to a March survey by the American Psychological Association. That stress can quickly bleed into the workplace — for example, a third of employees say they have argued with coworkers about politics, according to Gartner, though 64% of HR leaders say they are unprepared to manage conversations about current events. 

Read more: 5 ways to encourage mental health in your workplace

"From an organizational standpoint, you don't necessarily have to have a stance on every single issue," says Scott Domann, chief people officer of mental health app, Calm. "Even with everything going on in the world, how do we remain conscious at all times as an organization that we are investing in people and bringing them a sense of optimism, joy, and getting them out of that doom scroll as much as possible?" 

Employers need to be mindful of the impact the news is having on their employees, without wading too far into the issues of the day. Domann says a "mindful manager" finds a way to check in with employees, without isolating anyone because of their thoughts and ideals. 

"The mindful manager is really focused on showing that we care more by actively investing in people and finding a way to know how people are doing in the moment," he says. "You have to be conscious and respectful of the people who may not agree with your politics and ideology. Building resilience within your employees also means talking about how you create boundaries." 

Read more: Employees are still traumatized by COVID and are at risk for mental health issues

Those boundaries include being thoughtful about the language and messaging used in Slack and email communications. At the same time, leaders should avoid practicing "toxic positivity" by ignoring the issues that may be impacting employees, Domann says. 

"People leaders should be engaging with their teams and see where they may need some additional optimism without getting into toxic positivity, where you're not even paying attention to what's going on in the world," he says. "It's always a delicate balance, making sure that you're mindful of situations happening in the world of your employees and how they're approaching their day-to-day." 

Outsourcing some of that support to mental health professionals, or providing resources and employee benefits that can help employees navigate challenging issues, is one way to help employees strike a balance between focusing on work and stressing over what's out of their control, Domann says. Calm, for example, has a suite of educational resources and mindfulness practices specifically focused on issues related to current events and reducing anxiety, through their benefits offering for employers, Calm Business.

Read more: The 10 most popular mental health and wellness apps 

Helping employees get through challenging times is a process that will take persistence, practice and empathy from leaders in an organization. Whether it's on a Zoom call or through the benefits a company provides, employers and employees need to work together, Domann says. 

"Being able to establish a sense of resilience in your company is an ongoing practice, whether that's through employee resource groups or employee benefits to get that support," he says. "I also encourage people leaders to make sure that you're constantly engaging and talking to employees to understand how they're doing and then what they need."