One of the blessings that I have in my role with WorkEdge is doing my best to serve people who are what society calls “mentally unstable.” It’s a very difficult thing to do, but I know that it is needed, and so I find gratitude in the opportunities I have to work in those situations.
A while back, I received a heads-up that someone very active in his workplace was acting very agitated. This surprised me because my own interactions with him were always positive and he seemed kind. But as I learned more, I found out there had been some odd behavior with others. I realized I needed to be prepared for anything, and my mind was taken back to a speaking engagement I had almost twenty years ago.
After one of my speeches to a large audience, a young man came up and made a request that didn’t fit the situation. I waved over someone from the organization to help out. Later that day, while I was teaching a small group, the same young man walked in. He started flirting with a young woman in the group and made an inappropriate comment. I told him, “You need to stop that right now.” Next thing I know, he threatened me and tried to start a fight. Later, a family member told me he had schizophrenia, was off his medication, and had left home, wandering around Texas.
I’ve also been there during emergencies, both in public and private, when people had strokes, heart attacks, or fainted. One time, I answered an urgent call from a man in his workshop who was holding a loaded gun and planning to end his life.
Because of these occurrences and others, I will periodically enter into an environment with my antennas up and on high alert. There are times when I acknowledge to myself something unusual may be about to happen, and I best be ready. While I am not nervous, I am not relaxed either. I don’t consider that feeling to be a negative. It is the price that I pay to be ready for anything, and it is a worthwhile price. I wrote a few weeks ago (https://workedgetexas.com/do-you-suffer-from-imposter-syndrome/) about how many athletes and singers feel tension before they perform. Some even feel flat out nervous. They have learned to accept the tension as a sign that they are mentally and physically ready.
Researchers like Jonathan Haidt have referred to Gen Z as “the anxious generation.” Yet, research reveals that few people facing a mental health crisis are any more dangerous than the general population. Balance in life is very important. Feeling relaxed can be good, unless it is a situation that calls for us to be physically and emotionally dialed in. In that case, the state of “high alert” can prove a true friend.
That is how it is with me. If you should encounter someone at work who leaves you feeling concerned, why not seek out a chaplain or counselor at your workplace?
Mark
Dr. Mark Edge
The WorkEdge Company
Telephone: 903-245-7851
Email: workedgetexas@gmail.com
Website: www.workedgetexas.com
Author of Holy Chaos. To purchase the book, click here: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=mark+edge&crid=3B1BM6W3LHOG0&sprefix=%2Caps%2C137&ref=nb_sb_ss_recent_2_0_recent
WorkEdge leverages AI as a resource. While this material was not written or generated by AI, the editing was informed by AI tools.