Be SMART! BE Proactive About Managing YOUR MENTAL HEALTH!

Overview (1 minute read)

You are highly intelligent. We know that, of course—you’re an estimator! But do you look after yourself and your career by looking after your mental health?

Do you surround yourself with positive, helpful people?
Do you ask for help and collaborate to improve outcomes?
Do you take time to work on your mental health by pacing yourself to avoid burnout, getting enough sleep and eating healthily?
And finally, do you use the best tools to make your job more efficient, easier and manageable under pressure

What is it about Expert Estimation that leads to better mental health?

Firstly, Pronamics sincerely believes that using Expert Estimation can support your mental health. Why? Easy.

It creates certainty. Our calculations and formulas are tried and tested.
It’s reliable. Our Autosave Cost Estimate feature means you won’t lose work, even if you forget to press save or the internet goes down.
It creates accountability. You can set user permissions, lock sections or entire projects, and also communicate instantly within the project using the new SavvyChat feature.
It is supported 24/7 by experts. At any time of the day or night, you can call +61 7 3481 9626 and speak to a LIVE, Australian-based technical expert.

We love to help, and we are always available. We want the best outcome for you, so you can get the work done and have more fun. We know that is good for your mental health.

MENTAL HEALTH IS ON OUR MIND… IS IT ON YOURS?

(4 minute read)

There is a vital aspect to successful estimating that many people are not aware of or pay attention to. It is not talked openly about in the workplaces, yet 1 in 5 Australians are touched by it. It’s a real thing. Quietly, it influences the success and adds risk to projects and companies; affecting time, efficiency, productivity, team dynamics, even client and sub-contractor relationships. This article reveals something very important you NEED to factor into your estimates – the quality of your mental health and of your team.

To what degree do you experience underlying challenges that estimators face: long hours, high pressure, tight deadlines, fast project turn arounds?

This has been the norm for decades for estimators! Then 2020 added more—working remotely, uncertainty (economic and health), supply chain difficulties, and a flurry of government spending on civil infrastructure, requiring projects to get up and running with expediency.

The Good News

The government and companies are taking mental health very seriously, because they know that it affects business viability and the bottom line. Burn out, poor work life balance and job uncertainty create problems with hidden costs for individuals, businesses, and society.

The Bad News

For some people, old habits die hard. Some estimators with a ‘strong’ work ethic, ‘dedication’ to their profession and ‘commitment’ to their career are actually unknowingly hurting themselves and their success by taking risks with their mental health. They are also hurting their company.

BTW How many cups of coffee or cans of energy drink do you have to start or get through the day? How late are you up working? Are you sleeping well? How refreshed and happy are you when you start work in the morning? How much time do you have switching off with your family and enjoying life?

A good question to ask for help about mental health in the workplace.

Does your company have an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) whereby you can access confidential counselling at reduced or no cost? Many EAPs offer confidential phone, text, chat or face-to-face counselling or career coaching. It might just be that release valve you need to let out stuff that’s been boiling away in the background. A counsellor offer a perspective that reminds you to take another look at your workplace or home life challenges. You may get practical tips you can use when trouble rises. Help is available. (*See the list of links below as a start)

Waiting until crisis point is problematic.

Would a Project Manager ideally wait until they had three dozers stuck in the mud to change a project plan? No! The Project Manager who sees the weather is forecast for significant rain later that week might shuffle resources to get the dozers in early, or rig waterproof covers for the section they’ll be working on.

In the same way, you can reach out to someone before you or they get stuck or go into meltdown. Notice one of your co-workers is working long hours but not being productive? Maybe they are distracted, showing up late, or getting into disagreements with colleagues?

Don’t be fazed if your colleague doesn’t respond positively when you ask them how they’re going. While discussions around mental health are becoming more and more prevalent, many in the estimating industry still have a ‘tough it out’ approach, and you may be met with irritation, denial, or even a stonewall.

What you can do today to help?

Understand a person feeling stuck ideally wants help—to feel safe and capable. Stay level-headed and practise active listening. Don’t tell them how they should feel, just be present and hear what they actually say. And listen not just to their words either. Non-verbal communication means tone of voice, eye contact, facial expressions and body language. Active listening means withholding judgement and advice, and being present and supportive. People primarily want to be heard and understood.

Being a good active listener increases trust and emotional reliability.

Reaching out to a counsellor yourself helps keep you accountable for improving your mental health, and stops your health from degenerating. It may help to start a conversation by sending a link to this article to your manager.

Communicate with awareness and understand the real value of mental health in a high stress environment. Let people know when there are problems and alert them as to how they can support you. Be supporting of others and listen without judgement to everyone in the team. We are all valuable components of a company and a family.

Pronamics is a strong advocate of positive mental health.

That’s why we’re “More Done, More Fun.” We work to make sure our staff experience satisfaction and support with their work, and have a work life balance that lets them enjoy life.

RESOURCES TO FIND HELP

Here are some of the immediate resources you can access or make available to your staff to assist with mental health.

Blog Article

Estimators! Estimating Your Mental Health Is Vital & Valuable.