The days of intense physical labor might have passed, but we are now in an era where human struggles are associated with the mind. We might see a happy person wearing one of their best outfits, working in front of a computer screen without moving a muscle. But who knows what goes inside the mind of an employee rushing to finish a deadline?
Employees working in a mentally demanding environment can suffer from mental disorders, stress, anxiety, and depression. Since they spend most of their time at the workplace or working for you via any other setup, it is your responsibility to help them cope with their mental health.
The following tips might help support your employees to counter mental health concerns.
1. Offer Confidential Counseling
Mental health issues often go unreported and undetected because people are too shy to discuss them. Office management should understand this and offer confidential counseling to employees and their families, depending on the company’s budget. Start off by assessing the employees who might require an EAP. You can do this by personal observation, background check, and taking a slight dig at their family conditions.
2. Find a Professional Psychologist (if Needed)
You must find a professional psychologist providing EAP services if matters cannot be addressed through an in-house counselor.
Interview to understand the counselor better and assess their credentials. The availability of many options and accessible learning programs, like an online applied psychology degree, has made it easier to find a credible person at reasonable rates.
Once you have an EAP onboard, create a customized plan for your employees, recommend people to take sessions, and monitor its effectiveness. Inform your employees that this practice is confidential and will be kept that way.
3. Open Communication
Everything gets better when you talk about it. When you establish an open communication policy in the office, people are more likely to demonstrate their thoughts regarding work or otherwise.
Create an inclusive and non-judgemental environment where employees find it safe to express their thoughts and listen to others. It helps them to not only let out the stress but also makes people open to constructive criticism.
You can initiate this culture by conducting weekly team meetings where employees have the platform to show their ideas, express their thoughts and discuss any challenges they face
4. Practice Active Listening
Extending the previous point further, we suggest you actively listen to what each person has to say with full attention and ensure they are not interrupted. Employees should be provided with formal and informal contact points to voice their concerns and send suggestions and remarks about management.
It is normal to have people who might not like voicing their opinions so much. Encourage them to speak as much as they want and help them open up.
While encouraging open communication, remember to maintain a good tone and ask your employees to do the same.
5. Promote Work-Life Balance
In this demanding and competitive world, around 95% of people feel pressured to overwork. There are various factors underlying this pressure and the constant need to work more. For instance, someone might want extra hours to earn more money, while many employees might simply see this as a way of keeping employers satisfied with their work.
Regardless, working long hours is not the answer to any problem since this ultimately affects an employee’s mental health.
6. Reduce Excess Burden through Policy-Making
The Management can lessen the burden by establishing clear policies regarding working hours. Communicate that you only want them to be productive (not overwhelmed) during working hours while taking regular breaks in between. A reasonable practice to implement this approach is clarifying working hours, expecting check-ins and check-outs on those hours, and a break time for lunch and other activities.
You can also include flexible working arrangements such as work from home policy, different leave types, and a vacation period. Avoid calling your employees (unless there is a serious problem) after working hours, and tell them to do the same.
7. Lead By Example
Lead by example and show them how you spend your post-work time and weekends to promote a balanced culture in your office. For instance, some people only log in to company emails and devices via office equipment and keep theirs for personal use.
You can inform employees that since you don’t take your work home with you, they don’t have to either. When you lead by example, you give others an opportunity to follow in your footsteps.
8. Encourage Employees To Take Breaks
Regular breaks are beneficial during work hours. Educate your employees about the perks of taking small breaks from constant screen time. For example, in an 8-hour shift, there should be 30 minutes for lunch, 30 minutes to unwind, and smaller 5-10 minute breaks to recharge and relax.
Make a space in your office for a quick workout, play games, perform breathing exercises, or even take a power nap. Encourage socialization among employees so they have someone to talk to during working hours. The impact of sharing a laugh or two, informal conversations, and peer bonding goes a long way in helping employees maintain sound mental health.
9. Promote Healthy Eating
What you eat is directly proportional to how you behave. Employees with regular breakfast, lunch, and dinner, healthy snacking options, and exercise tend to behave more productively at work than those who skip meals or consume too much junk food.
For your in-house employees, offer various healthy cafeteria options focusing on calorie-controlled portions. Make it accessible for the employee to opt for a healthy option.
10. Engage, Inform, and Reward
An example would be to inform employees about healthy eating habits. Most workplaces are promoting awareness about healthy eating and the dangers of an unhealthy lifestyle. Nutritional education with regular workshops promotes the culture of controlled eating and tips for maintaining a healthy diet.
Set some wellness challenges where employees must reach targets in return for the company offering them rewards and incentives.
Conclusion
Employees might experience mental health issues because of professional and personal reasons.
As senior management, you are responsible for ensuring that people who work for you are productive and mentally relaxed. There are multiple ways, such as promoting healthy eating, taking regular breaks, and maintaining open communication to feel relaxed while working.
Detect any employees with serious mental health issues and encourage them for confidential counseling with a professional psychologist.
While promoting such policies, lead by example and follow these practices to motivate your employees.
