There is a growing awareness of the importance of taking care of your mental health, and the mental health of your employees as the owner of a company. As such, you should ensure that your company is actively working towards gaining a true depth of understanding and awareness when it comes to mental health. Here, we see how you can develop mental health awareness at work and how this can benefit your employees and your business overall.
There are some signs of poor mental health that can be difficult to spot, so it is vital that you empower your employees so that they can see these signs. For example, they might notice that a colleague is behaving more erratically than usual, or simply not being as productive as they normally are. Other signs that they should look out for are avoiding social activities and performing presenteeism, when an employee continues to work while being mentally disengaged with the work.
Showing your employees how to better take care of themselves and others is a powerful way to improve everyone’s mental health awareness. Taking a holistic approach can be extremely beneficial - showing employees how to be aware of both themselves and others, and the importance of a balanced lifestyle and making connections with others. You should also bring this into their day-to-day work by ensuring that they set achievable and manageable goals in order to improve their confidence and self-belief.
As well as pre-empting mental health struggles, you should have measures in place to help those who are already struggling. These don’t have to be uncomfortable or difficult. Share with your employees and colleagues how you can gently encourage those who might be struggling. Having resources available that you can provide, suggesting counselling, and giving space when necessary can be extremely helpful - as can alleviating pressure at work where you can.
Speaking openly about mental health at work is fairly new, and mental resilience training can help those who need to build up their self-belief and motivation. This training inspires better focus, both generally and during high stress periods.
Gaining a better awareness of mental health can help to keep your employees with you for longer and prevent presenteeism, keeping your workplace happier and healthier. If you want to learn more about managing and supporting mental health at work, then get in touch with our team.
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