How many suffer from anxiety? Are there any who are depressed? It’s not just an appearance. These questions are tough to answer. It is not always apparent that a person has a mental health problem. Unlike a cold or a broken leg, symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental illnesses may be invisible or poorly explained (e.g., “He’s off his plate today ‘hui, that’s all’).
To make matters worse, individuals, especially at work, are often reluctant to address mental illness. Even as awareness grows and more people (including celebrities) have started to share their personal stories openly, the stigma remains. This is why it is so crucial for employers to create a workplace that genuinely promotes mental health. It makes struggling workers feel comfortable and allows everyone to strengthen their mental health by providing relevant services and creating a culture that prioritizes psychological well-being.
The value of in-workplace mental health
When it comes to employee health, many companies fall short. While it’s beautiful that through employee benefits such as dental coverage and prescription drug insurance, most corporate initiatives place a strong focus on physical health, our bodies are just half of it. Of the equation. Our brains are just as essential to our well-being, especially when you consider the adverse effects mental illness can have on physical health, such as increased blood pressure, hormonal imbalances, and increased cancer risk.
When an employee suffers, their job performance suffers. Depression has been the world’s leading cause of disability, and due to depression, an estimated 172 million working days are lost each year. This issue is exacerbated by stress, anxiety, and other mental health problems, making people less involved, less concentrated, and less productive.
How you can help your staff
Fortunately, there are several ways to promote the mental well-being of your employees. Here are a few examples:
- Talk frankly about mental health. The first step is to stop treating mental illness as a taboo. Whether it’s an article you’ve read, a show you’ve watched, or a personal experience, talking about it openly and unashamedly will help others realize they’re not alone.
- Continue the conversation. Workplace culture should be encouraged: mental health should not be mentioned once to be resolved. Find multiple opportunities to incorporate the topic into your employees’ day to keep in mind that it is an important topic.
- Engage employees at all levels. As we know, culture starts at the top. Your employees won’t believe that you care about their well-being unless every manager and executive demonstrates the importance of mental health.
- Encourage employees to take days off for mental health reasons. It might be time to quit if you still need your workers to have a doctor’s note or some other “legitimate” excuse for taking time off work. Part of preventative health is giving your mind and body a break from time to time, and allowing your employees to take time off work to recharge can help them avoid more serious health issues. Late.
- Pay attention and be ready to intervene. If you notice that an employee behaves differently (e.g., irritability or bad mood ), don’t hesitate to ask them if everything is going well. Even if he tells you he’s okay, remind him that you are there to help them and that he has access to helpful Capabilities.
- Make sure that the instruments and resources are important. No matter how much data you give to your workers, if it’s not up to date or appropriate, it will never be helpful. It could even cause harm. Check your mental health resources frequently to make sure they’re accurate, up-to-date, and contain practical tips your employees can use to better.
- Make it easy to access these resources. As with the previous point, your employees will not use the information much if they have difficulty accessing it. Remove any barriers that prevent access by providing content in various formats (audio, video, written, etc.) and minimizing the number of steps required to find them.
- Favor confidentiality and anonymity. Although mental health may be normalized in your workplace, some people may still feel uncomfortable talking about it, especially if they struggle with addiction, trauma, or suicidal thoughts. Reassure your staff that protecting their privacy is your number one concern and that their use of mental health resources will never be monitored or tracked.
- Create a mentally healthy workspace. It is essential that your employees feel appreciated and energized by their work environment. The research showed that productivity, engagement, and well-being increase when people feel comfortable working in spaces illuminated by natural light, plants, and other positive elements.
- Focus on the positive. Mental illness is a severe problem, but it can be treated in a way that makes people feel understood, appreciated, and filled with hope. Remember always to give your employees the impression that they have a clear plan of action and that they or their loved ones can recover.