Ep.8/ workplace mental wellness
How can you support mental health at work?
Like physical health, we all have mental health and therefore creating a culture of mental wellness in the workplace is just as important as physical wellness.
The World Health Organization describes mental health as a state of well-being in which every individual realises their own potential, can work and cope with normal life stresses, can work productively and is able to positively contribute to their community.
So, creating an organisational culture that values mental wellness is good for the individual and good for the organisation.
So, what can we do?
📢 Open communication (talking about mental health does not cause mental ill health – in fact, quite the opposite!!)
🌍 Create communities (one of the essential components of resilience is community and belonging)
💕 Help colleagues in creating a positive work-life balance (especially since the pandemic and the increase in working from home)
🔎 Have clear and easy access to mental health support pathways (by creating these, individuals can access support early)
🧠 Bring mindfulness into meetings
⛔️ Do not book meetings back-to-back (be mindful of creating short breaks between meetings – not only will subsequent meetings be more productive but it also allows you to mentally put the previous meeting down and any lingering emotion/thoughts/tension/mental capacity which helps support mental fatigue)
💪🏻 Highlight people's strengths (praising and highlighting when people get things right not only boosts their confidence and helps them feel valued and seen but also you get a feel-good kickback. Win, win!! So what’s to lose?)
💛 Model positive mental wellness (in the same way as you would happily tell people you’ve been for a run or to the gym let people know what you do for your mental health and wellness)
✋🏻 Prevention (many people know that they are beginning to struggle much earlier than they seek support. Having an easy access first response support allows individuals to manage, understand and equip themselves with the knowledge to support their mental wellness before it becomes a clinical need)
🙏🏻 No shame (we all have periods of low mental health and it is important to recognise this and support yourself. You are not alone!!)
My parting reflection—‘If the pandemic taught us anything let it be the importance of positive mental health and creating cultures that priories mental wellness.’
