On World Mental Health Day, the Global Automakers of Canada released a document with answers to common questions to keep the conversation going from a prior event’s “On the Road to Resilience: Mental Health Awareness for Automotive Professionals”.
That event took place in May at Dentons offices in downtown Toronto, Ontario. Not all submitted questions were answered during the event, so the GAC decided to answer them in a PDF document. Questions around “How have you overcome feelings of regret or shame during low moments?” and “How do you push yourself to continue performing everyday tasks when struggling mentally?” were included in the document.
“There’s no shame in being human. No shame in struggling. No shame in falling. Low moments are part of life — not a reflection of failure, but a reflection of living,” said Ditty Garg, Subaru Canada’s Senior Human Resources Manager, one of the panelists at the event.
“When I look back at my own low points, peace came from reminding myself: I showed up with what I knew and had at the time. I gave my best—regardless of what the outcome was. So, no-there’s no room for regret or shame,” he added.
David Adams, President and CEO of GAC, suggested not push oneself too hard. He said everyone can create “to do” lists that are a mile long and only adds to a sense of inadequacy when they are not fully accomplished.
“I think trying instead to just put one or two key things on your task list and then cross them off when you achieve them,” said Adams. “The crossing off is important because it declares that you have accomplished something.”
As for the moderator, Christina Fuda, President and Co-Founder of The Mental Health Consultants, she said that while mental health challenges should never be “used against you,” the stigma can persist. “The best way to protect yourself and ensure fair treatment is to be aware of your legal rights and be prepared to seek legal advice if you feel you have been treated unjustly due to your mental illness,” said Fuda.
The full PDF is available here.
