Promoting Mental Health in the Workplace

We know that running a business can be touch, and the realities of modern working life stressful. Taking steps towards promoting good mental health in the workplace can start TODAY!

With poor mental health now being the number 1 reason for workplace absence in the UK, companies and organisations are suffering. Stress, Depression and Anxiety are more common than you think, and cannot be ignored. In the long run, these difficulties can affect your employee's wellbeing and your company's bottom line.

Read on to see some of our Top Tips developed by Therapy Partners Trainer, Wayne Goodwin, to help support the mental health and wellbeing of your staff and find out about small changes you can make to have a HUGE impact on your own wellbeing.

  • Implement a peer support, workplace buddy or mentoring program.
  • Lead by example; Be open about mental health and wellbeing by creating an environment where people feel able and empowered to talk and ask questions.
  • Encourage dialogue between employees and employers.
  • Really get to know your staff and understand their 'baseline'. In this way, if you notice a difference in their mood, you can raise this to them.
  • Internal or external emotional support programmes for staff who disclose personal information.
  • Workplace training on good mental health and wellbeing, providing practical 'tools' to help you and your staff.
  • Explore ways to support a member of staff to remain in work before assuming they will need time off.
  • On return to work after sick leave, co-produce a plan with the staff member that supports their recovery. Reasonable workplace adjustments don't have to be expensive and can be as simple as allowing adequate time for screen breaks

1. Leave work emails at work.

In this 21stCentury connected world where our work and social lives are never really switched off, we often find ourselves answering emails outside of normal working hours. Does working longer hours past 5pm mean we're actually working better? We need to think about being kinder to ourselves in this respect; will the world stop spinning or work is lost because we leave it until the next day to answer an e-mail or just leave the work phone at work?

2. Reflect on the positive each day.

If you find yourself focusing on negative things try this exercise. At the end of each day write down things that have gone well and why, it could be something you did or something that you have said or even a random act of kindness done for someone else, keep a physical record of this going. This exercise can take a bit of time when starting out but with practice and perseverance, it can help refocus your mind and make a difference in how you feel.

3. Get outside.

Consider this to be one of your mental wellbeing five a day and take a proper screen break. There is scientific evidence to show that as well as having physical benefits for us there is also a positive psychological impact which can reduce anxiety and stress by getting outside and taking notice of nature and the world around us.

4. Meditate.

As an ex-soldier I had a very stereotypical view of meditation that it would involve beanbags, scented candles and chanting, that was until I faced my fears and gave it ago. There are many different meditations that can be readily found on the internet and can be done in a short period of time, one of my personal favourites to calm negative thoughts is the Body Scan meditation where you focus on each part of your body from head to toe and allow you to ease the physical tensions we hold each day such as a tight chest and sore neck. I found my productivity was better with a short meditation before I started wading through my emails each morning.

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