Mental Health in the Workplace
◢
This past year mental health has become one of the most talked-about challenges for workers and their employers. Americans are now experiencing tremendous stress due to the pandemic and it is now impacting their mental and psychological health in the workplace.
With businesses slowly migrating back to their offices, it is important to remember it's not just a physical building to prepare but also about how to prepare the workforce for returning. At KMG, we strongly believe in creating an environment where mental health is just as important as physical health. Whether it is a paid mental health day, a zoom fitness session, or a team outing in nature, we are always looking for creative ways to keep our employees’ minds healthy.
As such and in honor of Mental Health Month, we recently joined a national webinar hosted by the American Psychological Association in partnership with American City Business Journals on why employers need to support their employee's mental health and how to create a supportive work culture. We were eager to attend and share our hot takes. Read more below!
Communicate clearly and consistently. As a leader, get super clear about priorities and your business expectations. Discuss what is most important and how to stay focused, aligned, and connected on that idea with your entire team. Reduce as much uncertainty by over-communicating and make sure to give enough notice on large decisions for planning purposes to reduce stress.
Don’t forget to be human. Everyone is handling these changes and uncertain times differently. As a decision-maker, it is your job to understand that not everyone will be challenged the same way you are. Your first step should be to recognize parts of yourself you aren’t sure of anymore since going virtually. These could be small changes or large changes. Next, refind those parts of yourself that you have lost. Try to reconnect with your old habits and then look at other people and connect with them by recognizing you all have been in the same boat. Be understanding, sympathetic, and curious. Never assume.
Set boundaries. This is something companies could start immediately to create change. Work on creating established boundaries around certain aspects of your company's work environment. Set expectations like “No one can email past 7 p.m.” This is something simple that senior leaders can start implementing themselves to set by example. For some reason, boundaries are harder now than ever before. Well, time is now sacred and companies need to recognize that. Find ways to block your schedule to allow yourself to log off. Not only is this a tool to use in the workplace but also your personal life. This can be a family routine to create these rituals and mark times to turn off work/school.
Create a platform to reduce the negative stigma of mental health and illnesses. It is so important to create a workforce that welcomes and understands the importance of mental health. Work on implementing an environment where both mental and physical health is considered by setting recommendations and requirements for access to therapists and emergency access plans if possible. The first step is educating your workforce on exactly what is available for your employers. Talk about the program and be willing to pay attention to the issues. Consistently affirm how important our mental health is. Most importantly, don’t skip over the fact that it requires attention and intention.
As mental health becomes more relevant in the workplace, it is our job to support one another and implement policies post-pandemic and so on. Feeling blue? You’re not alone. Here are some links to helpful resources if you or someone you know are struggling with mental health.
﹉
