In today’s fast-paced and competitive work environment, ensuring mental wellness has become a crucial aspect of employee well-being. A positive mental state not only enhances productivity but also fosters a healthier and happier workforce. This is why employers play a pivotal role in creating an environment that supports mental wellness. After all, happy employees have greater job satisfaction, which results in a lower turnover rate, saving recruitment and training costs in the long run.
Workplace mental wellness is even more important in a fast-paced country like Singapore. Why? .Research has found that 43 percent of Singaporeans openly admit that their declining mental health is negatively affecting their work. Given this, more employers have taken a proactive approach when it comes to mental wellness. With that goal in mind, today we’ll be sharing a brief guide on promoting mental wellness in the workplace.
Foster Open Communication
The first thing you can do to improve mental wellness within the workforce is to foster a culture of open communication.
How? By encouraging transparent dialogue and attentive listening, alongside facilitating access to mental health resources.
Create a safe bubble to help employees feel comfortable expressing their concerns and ideas without fear of judgement. Regular one-to-one meetings, suggestion boxes, or anonymous feedback systems can aid in identifying issues faced by your employees, which, in turn, helps foster open communication within the workplace.
The result? Through policy implementation at the organisational level, top leaders and middle managers within the organisation can help cultivate a space wherein employees are not fearful of voicing their concerns and thoughts. In such an environment, employees feel secure in seeking assistance and sharing their struggles openly, resulting in greater workplace satisfaction
Provide Mental Health Training
Unlike professional therapists, it’s safe to assume that not everyone in your organisation is well-equipped to deal with issues concerning mental wellness.
Not every manager is born with the skill to lead. This is why aside from keeping lines of communication open, it’s vital to equip managers with the necessary skills to recognise signs of mental health concerns, and to take on a more empathic yet firm approach in supporting employees with their challenges to cope.
Training sessions on stress management, conflict resolution, and empathy can empower managers to support their colleagues effectively. Additionally, conducting workshops on mindfulness and resilience can help individuals develop coping mechanisms for dealing with workplace stress.
Encourage Work-Life Balance
Within the sphere of promoting mental wellness, there are very few factors more important than work-life balance. While we understand that this isn’t always possible, it is important to consider the effects of an organisation’s morale on overall productivity.
Higher morale leads to higher productivity, and when an employee is overworked, both their productivity and mental health decline. This is why it’s crucial to encourage employees to take regular breaks, utilise their annual leave, and disconnect from work outside office hours.
It may also help to implement flexible working arrangements such as remote work or flexible hours to accommodate personal commitments. Demonstrating a commitment to work-life balance sends a positive message that employee well-being is a priority.
Organisations can also consider working with professional therapists who are equipped with the skills to support their employees through therapy and counselling.
Create a Supportive Environment
Other than encouraging employees to enjoy life outside of work, it’s also important to create a positive and supportive working environment.
Leaders are vital in fostering a supportive and inclusive culture where employees feel valued and respected. You can do this by encouraging teamwork and collaboration and discouraging behaviours that contribute to a toxic work environment such as bullying or discrimination.
This also means taking proactive measures to stem conflicts in the workplace through implementing clear policies and procedures for reporting and addressing inappropriate behaviour. By creating a zero-tolerance policy for bullying and harassment, employees feel safe and supported in their working environment.
You must also ensure that employees have access to mental health support services, such as employee assistance programmes (EAPs) and counselling services.
If morale is low, communicate the availability of mental health support and encourage employees to utilise them when needed.
Promote Physical Wellness
Yes you heard that right. Physical wellness is a key component to building a healthier mind. Given that physical wellness is an integral component of a person’s overall well-being, it’s not surprising that it also affects a person’s mental health.
A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine highlights how any type of exercise is effective in improving a person’s mental health. This is why promoting physical wellness can be a crucial step in improving mental wellness in the workplace.
Encourage employees to engage in regular physical activity by providing convenient and accessible options. Offering facilities such as an onsite gym, exercise classes, or access to nearby fitness centres demonstrates a commitment to employee health. You can also consider organising team bonding activities such as group workouts or yoga sessions to encourage team members to take a break from work, promote camaraderie and more importantly rest, relax and de-stress.
Let Food be Thy Medicine
Made famous by the Greek physician, Hippocrates, this phrase still holds true, even today. And it’s not just the body that benefits from healthy eating. Studies show that eating nutritious food helps with improving mental wellness.
Aside from encouraging physical activity, providing nutritious snacks and beverages in the workplace to support healthy eating habits will go a long way in promoting overall health and wellness.
Stock the office kitchen with fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, and other healthy options. To help with this, try offering healthy meal options for company events or meetings. Educate employees about the importance of balanced nutrition and provide resources on healthy eating habits.
And healthy eating doesn’t have to be expensive. After all, fruits are a relatively healthy option.
Provide Resources and Support
Lastly, something as simple as making helpful resources and support readily available for your employees will go a long way in helping them. Ensure that employees have access to resources and support networks for managing their mental health.
This could include information on local mental health services, helplines, or online resources. In fact, some organisations work with external psychotherapists to assist employees that require help with their mental wellbeing. Empowering employees with resources and professional support not only demonstrates a commitment to their well-being, but it also ensures that each employee is well taken care of.
Conclusion
Promoting mental wellness in the workplace is essential for creating a supportive and productive environment where employees and the organisation can truly thrive.
By fostering open communication, providing training and support, and prioritising work-life balance, employers can create a culture that values employee well-being. Organisations can cultivate a positive and resilient workforce capable of facing challenges with strength and resilience through these strategies.
But of course, there are also challenges with such implementation. While it may take some time and effort on your end to create a workplace that prioritises mental health and wellness, it’ll be well worth the work as creating a positive work environment benefits both employers and employees. In the long term, cost-inefficiencies can be reduced with improvements in tangible business metrics. Business metrics such as a lower turnover rate, reduced absenteeism and increased productivity.
If you’re looking to promote mental wellness in the workplace, then you’ve come to the right place. At Safe Expanse, we’ve made it our mission to provide a safe experience for our clients to expand their ability to connect with themselves and others, and in the process achieve healthier mental well being. For workplace mental health therapy and coaching, speak with our therapists today!