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Thursday, 10th October is World Mental Health Day, and on this day, we’re reminded of the importance of shining a spotlight on mental health, the challenges we face to our mental health, and how we can improve our emotional well-being. This year, the World Federation for Mental Health’s theme, “It is time to prioritise mental health in the workplace,” will strike a chord with many of us.
So, Why is it Time to Prioritise Mental Health in the Workplace?
60% of the global population is currently employed, and employees spend 60% of their time in the workplace. Some people love their work – it provides them with a livelihood and a sense of meaning and fulfilment. However, for all too many, work symbolises stress and anxiety and is nothing more than a chore. All over the world, mental health issues like depression and anxiety pervade our workplaces, impacting all factors of productivity and performance. When ignored, the economic cost of poor workplace mental health has been estimated by the World Health Organization to come to $1 trillion US dollars every single year.
In Mind Share Partners’ 2021 Mental Health at Work Report, research found that mental health concerns have increased at alarming rates over recent years. In 2019, 59% of those surveyed described experiencing at least one symptom associated with a form of mental illness. Cut to 2021, investigations revealed this number to have shot up to 76%!
The dramatic need to drastically improve mental health in our workplaces was only amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Increasingly, leaders around the world are realising that good mental health in the workplace is not only beneficial for employees, improving wellbeing and happiness levels, but also absolutely critical for the running of a successful organisation.
This year’s World Mental Health Day goal is to champion mental health in the workplace, promoting best practices that create cultures where workers can contribute productively and thrive.
In this blog post, we’re here to help you change the state of mental health in your workplace for good – because mental health isn’t just something we focus on for one day of the year.
Let’s take a closer look at mental health at work…
Why Don’t People Talk About Mental Health?
Although mental health awareness has increased tremendously in recent years, we still live in a society where those with mental health problems consistently face discrimination and stigma. Often, people keep their mental health challenges hidden because they’re worried about the response they might be met with – many fear they’ll be treated differently, automatically discounted from specific opportunities, or even judged and defined through the lens of their mental health status. For this reason, it is vital that workplaces are environments where everyone feels safe to talk about their issues and ask for help if they need it.
What is Impacting Our Mental Health at Work?
Even though our jobs give many of us purpose and a livelihood to work for, some working patterns, environments, and cultures can be especially detrimental to our health. Working excessively long hours, night shifts, and weekends without decent rest all increase the likelihood of chronic stress and burnout. All these work-related issues can feed into more problems, including the development of mental illness, the advent and escalation of absenteeism and presenteeism, and general reductions in performance and productivity.
Many employees who experience mental health problems feel uncomfortable disclosing these to their employers, fearing discrimination and stigma. However, by actively addressing mental health in the workplace, you can reduce your team’s stress and general unhappiness levels, lower absenteeism, increase employee engagement, and take your business to new heights. Addressing wellbeing at work has been proven to increase employee productivity by as much as 12%!
How Can You Benefit from Better Mental Health at Work?
First, let’s talk about your mental health at work. When working a busy or high-pressure job, it isn’t easy to carve out time just for you. But doing just a couple of these things every day can have a huge impact, not just on your own well-being but also your capacity to do your job to the best of your ability.
- Take your lunch break seriously. Whether you have half an hour or an hour’s lunch break, make sure you take this. And no, this doesn’t mean eating lunch at your desk! Having a break forces you to take a little time each day for you, and will make you so much more productive when you come back. Don’t forget to encourage your team to do the same.
- Organise group activities. Group activities are a great way to take team bonding to the next level and ensure your workforce takes time to de-stress and have fun. If there’s a green space nearby the office, you could hold a game of rounders on a Friday afternoon, head out on a group walk, or have an end-of-week celebratory picnic.
- Use music to reduce anxiety. Research has shown that slow, quiet music encourages relaxation and reduces stress. If you can plug in your earphones at your desk, take advantage of this! Blocking out distractions around you is also a great way to improve your focus and give important tasks your full attention.
- Work-life balance. Mental health in the workplace and your efforts to support it are intrinsically linked to your home life – you can’t expect to be your best self at work if you’re not taking care of yourself outside of work. Something key to feeling good in and out of work is good work-life balance! Create clear boundaries so your work doesn’t spill over into your personal life. If you work from home, this might mean designating a specific area in your house for work or remembering to pack away all your work things at the end of the day to remove visual reminders of any work worries. Aim to leave work/sign out on time, picking something that helps you switch from work mode into home mode! Listen to some upbeat music, go for a walk or run, or meet up with a friend for a drink or dinner.
- Ask for help when you need it. If you feel overwhelmed with your workload, talk to someone! This confidant could be your manager, supervisor, HR, trade union representative, or colleague – a problem shared is a problem halved.
“By implementing policies such as flexible work hours, providing access to mental health resources, and encouraging open conversations about mental health, companies can cultivate a culture of care that boosts morale and enhances overall performance and innovation. Investing in mental health is not just compassionate—it is a strategic business decision that benefits everyone.”
Talking About Mental Health with a Team Member
Being supported and supportive is a two-way street. These conversations might not be easy, but they can mean so much to someone having a tough time. Keep the following in mind when you’re trying to support a member of your team:
- There is a time and a place for these conversations. Make sure you have enough time to listen and a private space in which to chat. You could ensure your team talks to you by scheduling regular one-on-one time with your employees, giving them the time and space to open up if necessary.
- Not sure where to start? Our “Ultimate Guide to Conquering Workplace Stress” series gives you the information and tools you need to hold these conversations. Download Part 3, “The Role of Communication in Stress Reduction” for step-by-step frameworks and conversation pathways to give you confidence when handling these situations.
- Actively listen. Sometimes, you can be of enormous help simply by listening! However, don’t be a passive listener – make sure you pay attention and ask gentle, non-pressurising questions to allow you to understand better, giving the employee your full focus.
- Work out solutions. Having a suggestions box means nothing if you never open it up and bring about the changes your employees wish to see. Consider each problem in your workplace, and work to accommodate solutions that will make each work day more comfortable and enjoyable for everyone.
- Manage your own feelings. Above all, you want to reassure this person that you are a safe person to talk to. Reserve surprise or judgement and treat their words with respect and understanding.
Create a Supportive Environment Year-Round: Your Checklist!
- Prioritise mental health and wellbeing as part of your business’ core values, and review your strategies often.
- Support the development of effective line management relationships through training. This means making sure managers model positive wellbeing behaviours and are able to give team members the level of wellbeing support they need.
- Address discrimination and encourage its immediate reporting.
- Value the diversity and transferable skills that actual experience of mental health problems brings and support healthy discourse around these issues.
- Consider appointing and training mental health ‘champions’ whose task is to promote better wellbeing across the workplace and be a source of support for fellow colleagues.
Marking the Event: World Mental Health Day Activity Ideas
What can your workplace do to recognise World Mental Health Day this year? Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Mental Health UK holds several fundraising events throughout the year for workplaces to get involved and make a difference in mental health training and research.
- If you want to directly impact the World Federation for Mental Health, consider becoming a member or fundraising for a donation to help them carry out their important work.
- Promoting education and learning in the workplace is so important for World Mental Health Day – and that’s where we can help!
- We hold monthly, live-streamed health and wellbeing webinars, led by leading medical consultants and wellbeing experts. In the past, our mental health-related webinars have included “Stress, Emotional Resilience and the Role of Mindfulness” with occupational psychologist Cheryl Isaacs, “Managing Anxiety and Finding Inner Calm” with mindfulness teacher and life coach Karen Liebenguth, and “Busting Stress Myths” with burnout and stress specialist Dr Amy Imms. Every month, your team can attend one of these events and receive expert advice on how to lead a healthier, happier life!
- Purchasing our Employee Wellbeing Platform will give you and your team access to an all-in-one wellbeing resource that contains an extensive, ever-expanding library of fascinating, fully designed content that can help individuals better support their health.
- You can also sign up for our monthly employee-facing health and wellbeing newsletters to help your employees create healthier, happier lifestyles. With topics covering every single pillar of health and wellbeing, including mental and emotional health, our newsletters are well-researched, up-to-date, engaging, and professionally designed.
- If you haven’t completed a Mental Health First Aid course before, you and select team members can gain an official MHFA England qualification to be become first-line, in-house mental health support for your workforce.
- In addition to our Mental Health First Aid course, you should also consider providing your team with Mental Health Skills Development training, expertly formulated to equip Mental Health First Aiders with extra knowledge and training to take the support they can provide to the next level.
This World Mental Health Day, we want to stress that mental health awareness isn’t just for one day in the calendar year. If we really want to improve awareness and take action that works, these issues must be recognised and tackled year-round. Use World Mental Health Day as a starting point to ensure your workplace is a comfortable, supportive, and safe space for all of your team every day.
Before you go… We know that figuring out a mental health strategy for your workplace might not feel as straightforward as it sounds. That’s why we offer consultancy services, where our senior health and wellbeing consultants will listen to the issues you’re experiencing and craft a bespoke strategy which works for you and your team! Get in touch today to take your first step towards a healthier, happier team who are ready to thrive.
