Don’t Ignore the Problem
Mental health and psychological wellbeing should not be something to be ashamed of. When we ignore the issues or sweep them under the rug it sets the example to employees that we do not care or will not be supportive if they have need of help. By providing things like access to mental health counseling, de-stressing events throughout the day, or letting them bring in their children or pets on certain days you address the issues straight. Even small companies can offer things to help their employees – it doesn’t have to be expensive to be helpful. Offering a quiet space for meditation or even just a bowl of treats can lift morale and show your workers you care about their well-being. Studies, like this from The International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, show that by providing whatever you can in the form of support can help your employees deal with mental health issues.
Encourage Healthy Living
Time and time again we see that exercise and proper nutrition provide many people who suffer from mental unwellness with relief. Encouraging employees to stay active and eat healthy not only helps them but also helps you too. People who suffer from certain mental illnesses can be less productive when they are not well. They can even be more prone to physical illnesses like heart attacks. Giving employees the chance to see a doctor regularly by providing health insurance can be especially useful. Smaller companies can have problems with this though. Promoting individual insurance, like www.now-health.com, that they can get on their own is helpful if you’re not able to offer a company plan.
Education is Key
Sometimes an employee might not know what exactly is wrong, but still, know that they don’t feel right. Maybe they’re anxious or sad for no reason. Maybe they feel overwhelmed by their duties and daily responsibilities. Making sure employees have the educational resources to know what is wrong can help them figure out a plan to get themselves better. Fortunately, education on psychological wellbeing is often free. You can find numerous websites that offer advice and tips that can be distributed either en-mass or through confidential services. Alternatively, you could spend just a little to have a speaker come to talk to your employees on the symptoms of common mental illnesses. If you can’t get a professional, you can at least have a manager give a speech on common talking points like these.
Have Get-Togethers!
Social interactions are important in maintaining mental wellbeing. Having regular office parties or get-togethers outside of the work environment is a great way for people to connect in a way that is less stressful for employees to talk, let loose a little, and maybe even flirt. It’s extremely easy to set up this kind of event, it can even cost your company nothing if you meet off-site at a bar or restaurant that employees take care of the tabs themselves. Social interactions can increase levels of serotonin which increases levels of happiness hormones that will help your employees thrive. A couple of straightforward approaches to this are to celebrate birthdays month to month, become more acquainted with local events, and organize excursions or support mid-day breaks.
Conclusion
It may seem like there is nothing to be done about mental health issues in the workplace, but there are many options that provide relief to employees that will help your company and give comfort to employees. Mental health is imperative to making sure your company helps to ensure that all are comfortable and happy.