According to the WHO, disregarding mental health in your workplace may lead to physical and mental health problems, harmful use of substances or alcohol, absenteeism, and lost productivity.
Here are 5 ways to improve mental health in your workplace.
1. Promote work/life balance.
We all want to go as hard as we can but ignoring that you have a life outside work hurts the company in the long run. Without a healthy work/life balance, productivity is likely to decline, and employees are more likely to burn out.
2. Reduce the stigma
Talking about stress management, self-care, and mental health in meetings and in email communications can reduce the stigma associated with mental illness.
When employees trust you won’t call them “crazy” for having a panic attack or fire them when they’re struggling with depression, they’ll be more willing to seek treatment. And fortunately, most mental health conditions are very treatable.
3. Ask for help
None of us is superhuman. We all sometimes get tired or overwhelmed by how we feel or when things don’t go to plan. So don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it and also make yourself a safe space for your colleagues.
4. Keep in touch
Relationships are key to our mental health. We usually can’t choose who to work with but focusing on making your team a supportive one is hugely important for mental health at work.
5. Make wellness a priority.
Exercise, healthy eating, and participation in leisure activities are a few simple ways to build mental strength and improve mental health. So, make it a priority to help people develop good habits. You can even incentivise it.
Mental health impacts everything – work, family, the economy, etc. Paying more attention to it in our personal lives, workplaces and government will result in positive benefits for us all.
