When we enter the working world, some of the most common advice given is to ‘leave personal problems at the door’ – but in many cases this is easier said than done. Shutting out personal problems for eight or more hours per day can be challenging, especially if you work in a stressful environment. An increasing number of people are talking about mental health now, but companies still have a long way to go if they want to promote better mental health in the workplace. Too many people are still afraid to talk about their problems due to fear of judgement or exclusion.
People who work typical nine to five roles spend around 25% of their lives at work, so issues are bound to catch up to those who are suffering. However, companies can promote better mental health in the workplace and ensure that the well-being of their employees is a top priority.
Offer support for employees
It’s important to have a support system in place for employees. According to the mental health at work report 2018, 71% of employees say they have the confidence to recognise the signs of poor mental health, which is an increase of 7% from 2016. 45% of employees believe that their organisation does well in supporting those with mental health issues, and although this has risen from 40% in 2016, that is still less than half of the workplace that actively feel supported in their roles.
Rising from 22% in 2016 to 30% is the number of line managers who have taken part in mental health training as part of their work, which reduced figure could have a knock-on effect on the other statistics.
One way of offering support is to have a mental health champion. This doesn’t have to be a dedicated person whose sole purpose is to function as the go-to person for all things mental health, it could be a another role the HR man/woman has on top of their job. According to MIND, the mental health charity, more than one in five people (21 percent) have called in sick to work to avoid the stresses of the workplace, with 14 per cent resigning from their roles. Which is a large chunk of staff affecting business as a whole. Employees can feel safe in the fact that there is a neutral person within the business they can talk to about any
Encourage communication
We live in a digital world, and it’s easy to get stuck in a tech bubble – perhaps your employees have gotten used to chatting over email rather than getting up to talk in person. Getting up out of your seat and chatting to the person who you were going to email a little note to will release the necessary endorphins to relieve stress and will actually be more efficient.
The people that you work with are more than just your colleagues, they’re your team-mates and can offer valuable support when needed, so it’s imperative that you take the time to nurture these relationships. Maplewave, a business intelligence consultancy company in Canada, hosts weekly coffee sessions with leadership. During these sessions, leaders can share news and answer questions about projects or happenings. This is a great way to open up communication throughout the company and give people the opportunity to connect with leaders.
Promote positivity
Unfortunately, there are some things that you can’t change. It’s inevitable that things will go stray from the track from time to time, accepting these obstacles and getting over them is how we learn and progress as humans. Heavy traffic causing you to be late for a meeting, an event falling flat, these are the things that builds stress in employees, and they’re frame of mind won’t be in a productive place. Shifting the focus from stressing your mind to focusing on the positive things you can change won’t only help you be more productive but will also leave you feeling calm and composed when it matters most.
