WELLNESS WEDNESDAY #65: The Age of Distraction

Each week, ICBA’s Jordan Bateman reflects on what we’ve learned as we participate in ICBA’s Workplace Wellness Program. This program is free for all ICBA members – check out icba.ca/wellness for details.

We live in the Age of Distraction. Text messages, social media, a million TV and streaming options, every song ever recorded at our fingertips, and on and on. Then there’s our inner monologue, that stream of thoughts in our head that can take our focus away from what we need to be concentrating on. And external issues too – problems at home, with parents, tight finances, a bad night’s sleep, to name a few common ones.

But construction workers can’t risk being distracted when doing work that – if done improperly – could result in injury.

Employers need to make sure they are not adding any distractions, and that means intentionally creating a worksite that supports the engagement and inclusion of all its people. Whether it’s ending biased behaviour, breaking down mental health stigma, or answering questions and concerns positively, employers have a big part to play.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll look at some practical tips on creating psychologically safe workplaces. Stay tuned!

ICBA’s Workplace Wellness Program is helping more than 75 companies and 7,000+ construction professionals better understand mental health. The program is free for ICBA members — see icba.ca/wellness.