Don't forget about your mental health.
This week we dig into mental health and it's role in product management.
Mental health awareness is crucial in product management. The pressures of deadlines, stakeholder expectations, and constant innovation can take a toll on anyone.
Understanding and addressing mental health is essential for a thriving team and successful products.
Recognizing and Addressing Burnout in Product Teams
Recognize Burnout
Look for signs like constant fatigue, lack of enthusiasm, decreased productivity, and increased irritability.
Burnout can affect anyone, and it’s important to catch it early.
Regular check-ins with your team can help identify these signs before they become severe.
Open conversations about workload and stress levels can provide valuable insights.
Addressing Burnout
Encourage open communication, provide mental health days, and ensure workloads are manageable.
As a leader, pay attention to your team members. If you notice someone struggling, offer support and resources. Building a strong, resilient team starts with recognizing and addressing these issues.
Create an environment where team members feel safe to speak up about their challenges without fear of judgment or reprisal.
Strategies for Promoting a Healthy Work-Life Balance (It’s a real thing!)
Understanding Balance
Achieving work-life balance varies at different stages of your career and life. There may be times when you need to grind through hard times but always aim to keep your head above water.
Acknowledging that balance looks different for everyone is key.
Sometimes, simply surviving a challenging period is an achievement.
Practical Tips
Set clear boundaries between work and personal time, take regular breaks, and ensure you have hobbies and activities outside of work. It's not always easy to tell your boss no, but it's sometimes necessary to establish priorities.
Push your boss to either prioritize tasks or help you offload lower-value work, allowing you to focus on what’s most important.
Learning to delegate and say no respectfully is a critical skill for maintaining balance and avoiding burnout.
Tools and Resources for Mental Well-Being
Company Resources
Many companies offer Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) that provide confidential support.
Utilize these resources not just for crisis moments but as a preventive measure. Encourage your team to take advantage of these programs.
External Resources
Therapy and Counseling - Websites like BetterHelp and Talkspace offer online therapy, making it easier to access help from anywhere. Many companies offer discount codes these days, so keep an eye out.
Mental Health Apps - Apps like Headspace, Calm, and Moodpath can help manage stress and anxiety through guided meditations and mood tracking. I haven’t used these personally, but I’ve read great things.
Hotlines - National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) and Crisis Text Line (Text HOME to 741741) provide immediate support. Having these numbers handy and sharing them can make a big difference in moments of need.
Personal Example
Over the last five years, I've experienced burnout feelings several times. I'm fortunate that my company offered discounts to BetterHelp, where I found an amazing therapist.
Now, she hears me complain about work craziness as a neutral party, which makes me feel a million times better.
Just venting to someone impartial has been incredibly therapeutic. Knowing there’s a safe space to express my frustrations has significantly improved my overall mental health.
Final Thoughts
Building a supportive and healthy work environment requires ongoing effort.
Encourage team members to prioritize their mental health, offer support when needed, and foster a culture where discussing mental well-being is normalized.
By doing so, you create a resilient and productive team. Regularly revisiting and updating mental health policies and practices can ensure they remain effective and relevant to your team’s needs.
These approaches will help ensure that mental health is prioritized, enabling you and your team to navigate the challenges of product management more effectively.
Thanks for reading Product Party.
Drop me a message, and let’s talk about product things.
Great post, Mike! I'd like to add: set a good example of work life balance. For example, if you are catching up work because you took the afternoon off for family time, then schedule your emails to be sent first thing on the next work day. Product managers are both leaders and contributors. We can help prevent burn out by considering our impact on others.
Love this, Mike! There’s not much people talking about this topic and it’s a very crucial one. Finding that sweet spot between work and personal activities is hard specially if you have to sync with individuals around the world. But setting boundaries helps a lot. I block spaces in my calendar to focus on my health, for example.