How Do You Combat Mental Illness in the Workplace?

It seems like most people we talk to these days are experiencing some sort of anxiety disorder, whether it’s severe, or just moderate enough to inconvenience their lives. We live in such a fast-paced society it’s hard to keep up to all the social responsibilities we experience day to day.

How do you ensure your employees are not only taking care of their physical wellness, but also their mental well-being? We found an article that discusses various ways to help your employees to maintain their happiness and overall health.

The first suggestion is to promote work-life balance; this can be done by offering your employees flexible work hours or work-from-home options.  By allowing this, your employees are still able to get their work done, but they are less likely to feel overwhelmed by the amount of responsibilities they need to meet throughout the week.

Secondly, discourage employees from working on vacation. Some particularly hard-working people can see a vacation as a time to get caught up on outstanding work, but it should be a time for your employee to relax, de-stress, and enjoy the things they love to do most.

Another important aspect of promoting a happy and healthy workplace is to create an environment your employees feel comfortable in. It can be difficult to discuss personal issues with a boss or a manager, so be sure to let your employees know your office is a judgement-free zone.

Another suggestion the article makes is to provide your employees with an insurance plan that covers the cost of therapy and/or counselling sessions. Many people use group insurance plans to help with physical pain or maintenance, but it’s also important to have a plan that covers the cost of counselling services to help with mental well-being.

Lastly, encourage your employees to exercise as part of their daily routine. Exercising helps both the body and the mind by relieving stress and anxiety and promoting and overall healthy lifestyle. We know it can be hard to encourage exercise, but some of the suggestions include teaming up with a local gym to provide discounted rates, installing a bike rack so employees can cycle to work, or allowing for longer lunches so employees have time to exercise during the day and refresh before returning to their desks.

It’s important to let your employees know you care about them on a personal level. Happy and healthy employees will benefit your workplace by investing more in their jobs and being more productive throughout the day.

So, we ask, what are you doing to promote mental wellness in your work place?

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