Health is Wealth, Especially at Work

Prioritizing mental well-being in a demand-driven industry

Health is wealth, especially at work
supply chain mental stress

“It is health that is real wealth. And not pieces of gold and silver.” – Gandhi

Let’s face it, the last few months (well, years, owing to COVID-19) in the supply chain industry have been rough. We’ve endured labor shortages in nearly every job category, product and material shortages, incessant port congestion and backlogs, rising fuel and freight costs, extreme weather events, and government regulation changes, to name a few.

Managing the logistics and operations of supply chain management can take a mental toll, which has been exasperated for over two years now.

We see immense workload burdens across the job sector, from procurement to the warehouse. And this can take a severe strain on mental health, not to mention a company’s bottom line.

Mental health impacting productivity

Mental health impacts productivity in the workplace. Employees with unresolved depression experience a 35% reduction in productivity, contributing to a loss to the U.S. economy of $210.5 billion a year in absenteeism, reduced productivity, and medical costs (American Psychiatric Association).

Depression interferes with a person’s ability to complete physical job tasks about 20% of the time and reduces cognitive performance about 35% of the time. Equally alarming, depression is often not treated. Only 57% of employees who report moderate depression and 40% of those who report severe depression receive treatment to control depression symptoms. (Center for Disease Control)

TradeTrans continually looks for ways to support the mental health of our employees, such as our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) “Resources for Living” by Aetna. After all, our employees are our most valued asset.

Giving sanity and grace to the psychological tolls

It’s no secret that supply chain management is a demand-driven business, but that shouldn’t mean it takes a demand on your mental well-being.

So, we’ve asked the TradeTrans team to share with us what they do to support their mental health:

A dose of TradeTrans wisdom from the office to the warehouse

The office

  • Bob, president and founder, “Playing bass in a band is a good stress reliever. I also read and try to focus on the present moment.”
  • Cynthia, operations lead, “I go out for a walk. It instantly improves my mood, making me all the more productive. Plus, there’s the added health bonuses of lowering the risk of chronic disease, weight loss, better digestion and circulation.”
  • Elaine, procurement clerk, “Prayer and releasing my worries to God help me a lot. I feel relieved knowing He holds at all, and I feel peaceful every time I do it. I’ll also take a walk or run because it changes my perspective and releases stress. I listen to rain or ocean sounds because it resets my mind to focus.
  • Janet, operations manager, “I plug in my essential oil diffuser to help me focus on my breathing and release the stress.”
  • Kara, operations coordinator, “I will turn to music when I feel stressed out, and it always helps. I normally listen to pop music from the late 90s and early 2000s and rock and roll, the easy kind, not hard rock!”
  • Laura Lee, development director, “I Listen to a sound bath or do box breathing.”

The warehouse

  • Peter, warehouse manager, “I take a walk, drink tea and focus my mind on the surroundings – be in the moment. This helps me clear my mind.”
  • Sandy, procurement manager, “I work from home on things that require deep concentration. This allows me to focus with less interruption.”
  • Tim, assistant warehouse manager, “I’ll meditate for 5-10 minutes focusing on my breath to clear my mind. I also like to go outside for some fresh air and maybe walk. Lastly, I’ll listen to some calming music, usually instrumental and ambient or classical, like Bach or Mozart.”
  • Our warehouse crew responses included:
    • “Listening to music”
    • “Making a point to be kind, you never know what someone is going through”
    • “Getting fresh air” 

We get it

At TradeTrans, we recognize the strains of working in a demand driven-industry. At the same, we like to find opportunities in challenges and make it a point to find joy in supporting our customers’ supply chains worldwide.

How can TradeTrans solve the stress of managing your supply chain? Schedule a conversation today.