Mental Health And Wellbeing in the Workplace: Strategies for a Safer, Happier Team

As trainers in mental health in the workplace, we have extensive knowledge in this area. We’ve delivered courses all over the UK to all types of businesses and spend time learning how to address mental health in practical ways.

These are some of the strategies we’ve seen work well.

Open Communication

Maintaining a trusting company culture is critical to encouraging open communication. Your employees need to feel like they’ll be listened to without judgment so that they can air any worries or issues before they develop.

Not everyone has the ability or awareness needed to listen to coworkers or employees actively; it’s a skill that requires training. However, everyone, from Directors to part-timers, can remember to refrain from judgement and be present with an open ear if needed. 

Some great ways of bringing about an open conversation dynamic are to host tailored workshops or hold mental health awareness days.

Work/Life Balance

A key stress factor affecting many of us is workload. We are working too much. And with many employees also juggling family life, this can put unnecessary strain on individuals.

Flexible and hybrid working can help reduce the huge stress of school holidays. It also means a more consistent workforce because parents don’t need to take huge amounts of leave all at once to cover the six-week summer period. 

Another way to improve mental health in the workplace is by instilling strict boundaries. With modern technology making instant contact so easy, there’s an unspoken expectation that emails and messages should be responded to immediately. 

This is not healthy! 

When your people leave for the day, advise them to switch off their emails or work phones so that they can relax. And ensure your employees are keeping all work chat to apps like Teams rather than social media, this makes upholding those boundaries ten times easier. 

Recognition

Mental health in the workplace can be positively influenced by reliably demonstrating employee recognition.

Knowing your efforts have been noticed and are appreciated can feel wonderful, giving staff members a stronger sense of purpose and belonging. This can go a long way to nurturing a happier workforce. 

But what does recognition look like?

It can be as simple as a certificate or as grand as receiving a gift. To thank a whole team, consider a staff reward day out!

You can incentivise a recognition programme to make it more fun, but this element can also add stress; it’s important to think about what would work for your team. Not everyone is comfortable with public recognition, either. Some people just want to know that you see them and how hard they’re working.

Healthy Habits

Promoting healthy habits is another aspect that goes towards instilling good mental health in the workplace. There’s a fine line between preaching and promoting however, so be careful!

Here are some suggestions we’ve seen work well in UK workplaces;

• Ensure water is available. Whether it’s water cooler stations or bottles of water stocked in cupboards, making sure employees have access to water is key.
• Provide fruit and healthy snacks. Offering free healthy foods reduces the likelihood that employees will turn to fatty, sugary foods. 
• Create social spaces and encourage employees to eat away from their desks so that they can get the break they need.
• ‘Get outside for 5’. Encourage staff members to move their bodies. Sitting in the same position for hours is not good for our bodies, physically or mentally. And Vitamin D is good for you!
• Bring in the experts. Consider making things extra fun and getting a fitness class going in your lunch break. Or, if this doesn’t feel appropriate, how about linking up with local gyms or wellness centres to get discounted membership?