Fight The Stereotype and Promote Open Mental Health Conversations At Work

In this fast-paced world, where most hours are spent in a work environment rather than at home, workplaces can be the biggest mood-lifter or source of stress. As the days pass, taking care of your mental health becomes more crucial day by day. It is utmost important now to have an environment where you can speak your mind and point out the issues that one is facing.

Open conversations play a very critical role in managing work stress and keeping your mental sanity. Mental health issues don’t appear in a different way that you can easily detect; even the most proactive, confident, and smiling employee in your organization can also suffer from self-doubt, anxiety, and sleep deprivation. Openness in conversation is important in such a situation to understand it better.

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The Need of Open Conversation in workplace – Irradiating the Mental Health Taboo

Manage Stress and anxiety:

Workplace stress is a very common thing in today’s time, and having open conversations, highlighting the challenges, and coming to a collective solution not only helps employees manage mental health issues but also fosters an environment that feels safe for the employees

Productivity and Performance Improvements:

When your mental health state is not at its best, it affects your job productivity, performance, and even, at times, the dynamics with fellow colleagues. Here’s when employers should provide employees with a place where they can talk about their problems without feeling judged; it results in pro-activeness, punctuality, and a sense of responsibility amongst the employees.

Job satisfaction:

A workplace that takes mental health, or, for that matter, employee wellness, as a crucial factor fosters great job opportunities. Employees in today’s time search for organizations that support work-life balance, open communications, addressing burnouts, and allowing time off. These practices make employees feel valued, so they come back to the office with double the energy.

Builds Internal Relationships:

Open discussions about mental health at work help people learn to support and respect each other’s issues, which strengthens connections with coworkers. Empathy is encouraged at work when people express their emotions and problems.

Absenteeism and Turnover: When an employee feels valued and receives the support they deserve, it directly impacts the absenteeism rate in the organization in a positive manner. Not only this, but organizations prioritizing mental health also tend to have lower turnover rates.

Know more about The Importance of Mental Health Programs in Workplaces

For Employers:

How to Encourage Open Conversations About Mental Health at Work

1. Promote an environment: where staff members may talk about their own stress, mental health issues, and vulnerabilities without worrying about being judged.
2. Provide Mental Health Education: Awareness is very important when it comes to mental health; most of us don’t know how to cope at certain points. Proving courses, combating stigma, and educating employees on how to help one another are very crucial.
3. Resources and support for mental wellness: Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) and other wellness services enhance and build a strong wellness state for employees to balance their professional and personal lives.

Must Read: Mental Health Awareness

For Employees:

1. Speak about your experience, encourage others to prioritize mental health, and speak up and reach out to those in need.
   Support coworkers; be sympathetic and helpful to your colleagues who are experiencing mental health problems.
   There’s no harm in speaking up when you are dealing with something. We often stop ourselves from talking about our problems, but isn’t that the stigma we should break off?
2. Investing in employee wellness not only reflects a positive work culture but also ensures company growth, employee retention, and improved productivity amongst employees.
3. Mental health is as important as your physical health, and there’s a massive need to take it seriously. When you know the need for it, Don’t hold yourself back. Join us together so we can scale up your business towards new growth.

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Useful Article: Mental Health Matters – Your Employee’s Mental Health Is Your Company’s Secret Weapon