How to improve employee mental health? This question should be asked by each and every employer, as it is the most crucial aspect every organization should take care of and consider.
We all spent almost, on average eight, or more hours at work daily. That sums up a huge amount of our lifetime. That’s why our work must be aligned and supported for our mental health. According to studies, employees feel immense stress and pressure at work, increasing chances of mental health deterioration. Thus, it is very imperative to empower our employees’ mental health. Let’s find out how!
Since the Coronavirus pandemic arrived, a lot of employees have faced mental health struggles. And because of work from home and many other altered aspects, a lot of them are undergoing chronic stress, surfacing depression and anxiety.
So, today, we are going to discuss some of the effective ways regarding how to improve employee mental health. Stick with us till the end of this blog to take away some fruitful strategies to empower your employees.
However, before moving further, let’s quickly see what employee mental health stands for!
What Is Employee Mental Health?
Following the definition given by the World Health Organization, employee mental health is all about the emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing of employees at workplaces.
It’s all about how employees feel and react to the stressors and pressures they feel while working. A good working environment can be a source of great joy to them, as per WHO. However, mostly, workplaces become a great source of distress for employees. That’s why employers need to be aware of their employee’s mental health. And they should take every possible measure to ensure their employees remain positively intact with their psychological being.
How To Improve Employee Mental Health: Top 05 Strategies For That!
Open effective doors of communication:
Communication is a key element for every organization’s success. In places where employees feel shy or scared to articulate their feelings, thoughts, and emotions, success becomes far-fetched. As they say, employees are the cornerstone for every company’s victory. If your employees are happy and giving their best, then no one can stop you from taking your organization to the desired level.
Thus, encourage your employees to speak up about the challenges and insecurities they are facing at work. Hold weekly meetings with them and build a reliable rapport with them, so they can share their genuine feedback with you.
Emphasize self-care facets:
Self-care has been ignored by all of us big time. And when it comes to work and meeting project’s deadlines, we all forget about rest and self-care. And to be honest, in most cases, some companies play a huge factor in this.
Most of them never encourage their employees to rest and look after their health, increasing the chances of degrading employees’ mental health. That’s why if as an employer or HR manager, you can set an example for your employees vis-a-vis self-care attributes, then it would be incredible.
It will not only empower your employees but also give them a sense of security and respect.
Offer flexibility to employees:
According to studies, strict working hours add a lot of strain to employees’ mental wellbeing. On the other hand, when they get flexible working hours, they feel much more relaxed and prepared for work. Due to flexibility in working time frames, they are able to get enough sleep, enhancing their physical health. That’s entirely linked to one’s mental health.
After the pandemic, working from home has become a new normal. And for new parents, it is no less than a blessing. New moms and fathers can look after their infants more closely and effectively, as they are operating from their homes.
Provide mental health resources:
A lot has changed since the pandemic arrived. The mental health of people has taken a beating. Many are facing financial issues, while some are going through pain due to the loss of loved ones.
As a reliable organization, you should provide effective mental health resources to your employees. Try to educate them on mental health facets and how they can look after their health in a better way. You can conduct live virtual sessions of your employees with expert psychologists, making them more abreast with powerful mental health toolkits. It can be like an interactive session on what are do’s and don’ts for effective mental health.
Encourage unity amongst team members-
Life is quite uncertain, and anything can happen anytime. The sudden outburst of the pandemic is a real-life example of this. That’s why it becomes very crucial for employees to even have a reliable community of people at their workplaces.
They should not feel isolated or left out while working, even if they are operating from their homes. By encouraging healthy communication and helping hands amongst team members, you can empower employees’ mental health to another level altogether.
These were the top 05 strategies on how to improve employee mental health.
Also Read: What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ?
I hope you liked this blog post about how to improve employee mental health. Don’t forget to drop your thoughts on the discussed topic in the comment section below. Would love to hear from you on employee mental health. And, most importantly, how do you feel at work? What do you think about how your employer can empower your mental health? Feel free to share with us!
