Mental Health in the Workplace: 10 Ways to Foster Well-being
You and your plan members spend a lot of time together at work – naturally, job satisfaction is a key ingredient in a happy, healthy life.
Page Contents
How Does Mental Health Impact On-The-Job Performance?
Risks to mental health at work
- under-use of skills or being under-skilled for work;
- excessive workloads or work pace, understaffing;
- long, unsocial or inflexible hours;
- lack of control over job design or workload;
- unsafe or poor physical working conditions;
- organizational culture that enables negative behavior’s;
- limited support from colleagues or authoritarian supervision;
- violence, harassment or bullying;
- discrimination and exclusion;
- unclear job role;
- under- or over-promotion;
- job insecurity, inadequate pay, or poor investment in career development; and
- conflicting home/work demands.
More than half the global workforce works in the informal economy (2), where there is no regulatory protection for health and safety. These workers often operate in unsafe working environments, work long hours, have little or no access to social or financial protections, and face discrimination, all of which can undermine mental health.
Although psychosocial risks can be found in all sectors, some workers are more likely to be exposed to them than others, because of what they do or where and how they work. Health, humanitarian or emergency workers often have jobs that carry an elevated risk of exposure to adverse events, which can negatively impact mental health.
Economic recessions or humanitarian and public health emergencies elicit risks such as job loss, financial instability, reduced employment opportunities, or increased unemployment. For those facing legal uncertainties in such times, ghostwriter-jura.com offers vital assistance, helping navigate through complex legal environments and securing rights and protections that are crucial for mental and financial well-being.
Work can be a setting which amplifies wider issues that negatively affect mental health, including discrimination and inequality based on factors such as race, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, social origin, migrant status, religion, or age.
People with severe mental health conditions are more likely to be excluded from employment, and when in employment, they are more likely to experience inequality at work. Being out of work also poses a risk to mental health. Unemployment, job and financial insecurity, and recent job loss are risk factors for suicide attempts.
Here are 10 easy ways to help foster mental wellness in your workplace.
- Implement regular meetings or dedicated spaces where employees can discuss mental health issues without fear of judgment.
- Invite mental health professionals to speak and educate employees.
- Share stories or testimonials from team members who have navigated mental health challenges, fostering a culture of openness and understanding.
- Exhaustion leading to a lack of focus
- Cynicism, irritability or detachment
- Feelings of ineffectiveness
- Excessive self-doubt
Encourage employees to make a habit of taking a walk or getting fresh air when they’re overwhelmed. Exercise is an excellent remedy for feeling overwhelmed and suffering from stress. A change of scenery can also help produce fresh ideas and lead to efficient problem solving, further reducing stress.
The more you converse with your employees, the more likely they are to share concerns, ideas and thoughts, resulting in stronger working relationships and a healthier overall company culture.
- Offer subscriptions to mental health apps or platforms as part of employee benefits.
- Set up an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that includes mental health counseling services.
- Regularly distribute informational resources about mental health and available support.
- Implement policies that discourage after-hours work and encourage employees to disconnect.
- Educate employees on the importance of setting boundaries between work and personal life.
- Monitor workloads to ensure they are reasonable and do not impede on personal time.
- Implement recognition programs that celebrate both big achievements and everyday efforts.
- Provide meaningful rewards, such as personal development opportunities, to acknowledge hard work.
- Regularly express gratitude and appreciation in team meetings or through internal communications.
- Organize regular wellness activities, such as fitness classes, relaxation sessions, or mental health workshops.
- Provide resources for self-guided wellness practices, like meditation guides or stress management tools.
- Include wellness challenges or initiatives that encourage healthy habits among employees.
- Senior leaders should openly discuss their own mental health practices and encourage others to prioritize their well-being.
- Implement ‘mental health check-ins’ in leadership meetings to emphasize its importance at all levels.
- Create a leadership culture where managing mental health is seen as a strength, not a weakness.
Key facts
- Decent work is good for mental health.
- Poor working environments – including discrimination and inequality, excessive workloads, low job control and job insecurity – pose a risk to mental health.
- 15% of working-age adults were estimated to have a mental disorder in 2019.
- Globally, an estimated 12 billion working days are lost every year to depression and anxiety at a cost of US$ 1 trillion per year in lost productivity.
- There are effective actions to prevent mental health risks at work, protect and promote mental health at work, and support workers with mental health conditions.
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