While society and media have become more vocal about mental health, mental health in the workplace remains taboo for many employees who find it difficult to open up about their conditions. Work-related stress affects 83% of the American workforce. Yet, many employees assume that stress is an expected part of the job.

Unfortunately, left untreated, high stress levels can contribute to depression, one of the top three workplace problems. It can also aggravate the risks of burnout or even lead to unintentional discrimination among the staff.

Businesses need to take a stand for mental health here and now. It’s time to bring mental health to the core of your business operation, ensuring the team’s wellbeing becomes a priority. 

Provide support with mental health solutions

While businesses are not responsible for providing access to mental health solutions, more and more organizations partner with health insurers and mental health experts for additional services. Unfortunately, employees often feel uncertain or ashamed about discussing their struggle with their employer. As a sign of support, promoting individual mental health programs can help normalize the situation. Organizations can also show support by creating an environment where employees feel safe.

For instance, it can be a good idea to offer a customized joint case to individuals who use medical marijuana for anxiety and stress-related issues. For something such as weed, which can be a taboo subject, this simple gesture can make employees feel accepted. Introducing quiet rooms where people can self-isolate to relax is equally important. You can also tag the quiet room in the meeting room management system, showing that time for mental health is as valued as productive time. 

Share your burnout story

Managers and business owners are more likely to experience burnout syndrome during their careers. If you have been through a mental burnout with the company or before joining the company, it can be a valuable lesson to share with the team. Burnout sucks all the creative and productive energy out of your system, leaving you feeling mentally and physically drained. High stress and high workload situations can contribute to increased mental stress. By talking about your experience, you can help protect your team. 

Respect employees’ time

In a world of digital communications, it seems natural for people to check their emails late at night. Unfortunately, checking emails in the evening and at night will affect sleep quality and increase stress levels. Approximately 44% of the world’s population can’t separate their personal and professional lives on mobile devices. Consequently, they are constantly checking their phone. As an employer, you need to reduce late-night communication within the team. You can make sure that your team doesn’t feel like they have to work around the clock. 

See past the drama

Not everyone reacts to stress in the same way. Some people are loud and exuberant, while others keep it bottled up. Unfortunately, someone who tends to express their emotions openly and publicly is more likely to be taken seriously. On the other hand, we assume that someone who doesn’t show any visible signs of struggle is fine with a situation. It’s important to learn that drama queens and bottled-ups can both be going through an emotional and mental challenge. 

As a business, you have a responsibility of care toward your employees. Making mental health an integral part of your responsibility can inspire you to transform processes and discussions. You can do that just by starting a discussion around mental health and even encouraging employees to read self-help books can create a lot of difference. There’s still a long way to go to make mental health a part of our everyday life but it can be done, one business at a time.

Until next time,

Andrea

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