Mental Health in the Workplace

Each year, over 17 million Americans deal with depression. Over 47,000 suicides occur every year due to depression.

Now, more than ever, it’s important for work places to take into account the mental wellbeing of their employees. Mental health in the workplace must be attended to if you want employees to feel motivated and meet quotas.

Here are five ways to improve health in the workplace:

1. Provide Education On Employee Mental Health

Many resources exist that help educate on workplace mental health. These resources teach you how to screen for symptoms of mental health issues, how to prevent it, and ways to seek help. One such resource is an employee assistance program (EAP).

Another option is to invite speakers to your business to talk about stress-management tactics. When employees have the tools and means to gauge and improve their own mental wellness, you’ll see an increase in worker engagement and employee retention.

2. Encourage Balance Between Work and Life

When an employee feels pressured to put work before everything else, they are more likely to feel burnt out. Once this happens, productivity will decline fast.

To help encourage a healthy balance, don’t push employees to arrive early and stay late. Employees shouldn’t be expected to work from home even on their days off. Push for people to take time away from work and engage in hobbies.

3. Talk Up Diet and Nutrition

Food affects our brains and how we develop. If there is a cafeteria at your workplace, make sure that healthy foods are provided. Encourage employees to take a full lunch break and to not cut it short because of a heavy workload. There is a direct correlation between a person who hasn’t eaten well or enough and worker productivity waning.

4. Praise Your Employees

Recognizing an employee’s hard work and showing gratitude can help improve mental wellbeing and increase productivity. When a person feels appreciated, they are more likely to feel fulfilled and happy. In turn, this can lead to increased confidence and motivation to do more.

When a company has a culture of recognition, stress, and anxiety is less. It can also lead to stronger bonds between co-workers and a more positive workplace environment. All of this helps to create a workplace where employees will thrive.

5. Remove the Stigma

A lot of stigma surrounds mental illness. By talking about self-care and mental health at work meetings, you can help reduce that stigma.

Instead of an employee fearing they’ll be called “pathetic” or “crazy” for having a mental health crisis, they’ll feel more comfortable and empowered to seek help.