Mental health and wellbeing is crucial to our everyday health and happiness. And since we spend an average of 1/3 of our lives at work, mental health and wellbeing in the workplace is a topic that can’t be ignored.
Since the pandemic and the rise of hybrid work, businesses are looking for new tools and support systems to help promote a healthy work balance, with everything from resilience training, to yoga sessions and mental health. But what really works, and how can managers and HR help create a strong culture around mental health in the workplace? Let’s break it down.
The importance of mental health and wellbeing at work
Mental health refers to an individual’s emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing, while wellbeing refers to a person’s overall state of physical, mental, and social health.
The benefits of supporting good mental balance at work can’t be overstated. A healthy and supportive work environment allows for better productivity, easier flow of communication, and of course higher employee retention. While a stressful work environment can lead to negative outcomes such as decreased productivity, increased absenteeism and high staff turnover.
If you’ve experienced burnout from overwork, you’ll know how hard it can be to get yourself back on your feet. Overburdening of tasks and projects is in nobody’s best interests because of the absolute halt on work that can result from burnout, and the risk of losing valuable employees.
Without great support, or training in place to help educate, model, and validate mental health concerns, cases of burnout can go uncommunicated and unrecognized until it’s too late to intervene.
How to promote wellbeing at work
Managers and HR have a critical role to play in promoting wellbeing in the workplace, from setting a great example to putting support systems into practice. If you need ideas to get started, here are just a few ways managers and HR can help support employees and build a better work culture:
- Encourage open communication: Create a culture where employees feel comfortable discussing their mental health concerns. Encourage them to talk about any issues they are facing and provide support and resources to help them cope.
- Provide resources and support: Provide employees with access to mental health resources such as counseling services, employee assistance programs, and mindfulness training.
- Encourage work-life balance: Encourage employees to take breaks and prioritize their personal lives. Provide flexible working hours and the option to work remotely.
- Foster a positive work environment: Promote a positive work environment where employees feel valued and respected. Encourage teamwork and collaboration, celebrate achievements, and provide feedback.
- Lead by example: As a manager, you have a responsibility to model good mental health practices. Take care of your mental health, and encourage your team to do the same.
Workplace training programs can also help promote wellbeing in the workplace. Training programs can provide employees with the skills and knowledge they need to manage stress, build resilience and promote positive mental health outcomes.
Types of mental health and wellbeing training
There are various types of training programs available to help employees, managers, and HR tackle difficult topics around mental health and wellbeing – each designed to address and support specific areas. Here are some of the different kinds of training programs that companies can offer to their employees:
- Mental health awareness training: This training program provides employees with an understanding of mental health, its impact on individuals and workplaces and how to communicate about mental health.
- Resilience training: This training program teaches employees how to manage stress effectively and build resilience. It can include techniques such as mindfulness, relaxation techniques and time-management strategies.
- Communication and interpersonal skills training: This training program focuses on developing communication and interpersonal skills, which are crucial for building positive relationships and promoting a supportive work environment.
- Diversity and inclusion training: DEI training programs help employees understand and appreciate differences in the workplace and promotes respect, empathy, and inclusivity.
Next steps to support your workplace
Whether you embrace mental health and wellbeing as part of office-wide training, or simply offer it as a support system for employees to opt into, adding wellbeing training at your workplace helps promote a supportive work environment that values communication, productivity and sustainability.
At the end of the day, finding the right balance is essential to cultivating a healthy work culture, but you don’t have to do it alone. We created eloomi to help people deliver meaningful workplace training, and our curated employee training courses can help you do just that.
Support your employees, managers, and make HR’s lives easier by exploring industry-best training programs today – and see how you can make a difference in your workplace.
