Employee Stress = 8 Trainings You're Not Doing!

?? Give Managers a Mental Health 101 Course ??

Let's start with a Mental Health 101 crash course for managers. ?? Unless you want employees spiraling, managers need basic training on common conditions like anxiety, depression, burnout and more. ?? Use funny examples to teach them signs of distress, so they can catch issues early and point employees to help. ??

For example: "If Jim from accounting starts showing up disheveled withhalf-untucked shirts looking like he just rolled out of bed, he may be depressed. ?? If Lisa from sales is talking a mile a minute about her alleged million-dollar business scheme despite three hours of sleep, she could be manic. ?? If Mark starts consuming 12 cups of coffee and working till 2am every night, he's likely anxious about a deadline." ??

Managers aren't clinicians, but Mental Health 101 helps them recognize red flags and have compassion. ?? Quiz them and reward with goofy prizes like gold star stickers or whoopee cushions if they pass. ?? Make learning fun!

Bottom line - giving managers a Mental Health 101 foundation helps them provide basic support when employees show signs of stress. ? They'll never diagnose conditions, but knowing when to connect staff with professional help can be life-changing. ?? A little education goes a long way. Now, about those therapy dog office visits...??

?? How to Chat Like You Actually Care ??

Managers need to learn how to talk to employees like they give a crap, not just pretend to listen while thinking about happy hour. ?? Teach them compassionate communication so employees feel safe opening up when life gets real.?? Train managers to:

• Listen like their cat died and they need comfort??, not half-listen while scrolling email. Give employees 100% focus, don't just stare blankly and count the minutes.?
• Ask real questions to get the tea??, not surface-level BS they can answer yes or no. Dig deeper to uncover real feels.??
• Validate emotions instead of being a judgy McJudgerson.???? Allow employees to vent without criticism, unhelpful advice, or toxic positivity.??
• Make eye contact, don't sneakily check sports scores ?? or otherwise zone out. Face employees fully, don't hide behind your computer screen.??
• Keep convos confidential, don't immediately gossip to coworkers ?? or overshare on social media. #ventsession #supportgroup
• Check any needs to brag about your life or give unsolicited advice. Just listen, this ain't about you. ???
• Let there be awkward silences, don't just spew constant chatter. ?? Sometimes people need time to find words. Let them process.
• Summarize key points to check you didn't spaced out and miss stuff. ?? Recap action steps so you actually follow through.

Have managers role play so they can work on their skills. Give feedback so they don't actually tell employees to "just drink away the sadness." ???? Compassionate communication takes practice, but creates trust and psychological safety.??♀?

?? Give Them Mental Health Resources Galore ??

Managers need to know which ample mental health resources employees can use so they can actually refer them.

Give managers info on:

• Free counseling through Employee Assistance Plans (make sure it's legit counseling not just venting to Gary in HR) ?
• Health insurance coverage for therapy and psychiatry (not just pills to zonk you out) ??
• Apps and hotlines for extra mental health support ??
• Wellness tips on the company intranet (not just about physical health but actually useful info that promotes mental health) ??♀?

Print pocket guides managers can stash in their desks and whip out when needed. ?? Better yet, load resources right onto their phones so they have no excuse to not refer employees. ??

?? The HR Rulebook for Dummies ??

HR peeps need to give managers the down-low on policies related to mental health.

Don’t let managers pull a Michael Scott and do their own terrible interpretation of the rules. ??

Tell them clearly:

• What they can and CAN’T share about employees’ mental health due to confidentiality. ??
• How to accommodate mental health disabilities without overworking other employees. ????
• All the leave options for mental health days so employees don’t feel guilty for taking time. ??
• How to adjust performance expectations for struggling employees. ??
• Proper channels for referring employees to help. ??

Give them laminated HR rulebooks they can hide in their desk drawers. Highlight the most important bits so they actually remember them. ??

?? How to Practice Self-Care, Like, For Real ??

Managers set an example for workplace mental health based on how well THEY model self-care. Don’t let them pretend they got it together. ??♂? Train them to:

• Take vacation time seriously, not just glued to their phones from the beach. ??? While employees enjoy mai tais, managers should be off the grid, not sending work emails about TPS reports.
• Set boundaries for reasonable work hours, not sending emails at 3am. ?? Managers need work-life balance too - no slack messages at 2am about brilliant strategy ideas that definitely couldn't wait till morning.
• Admit when they’re burned out AF and need a break. ?? Managers should feel comfortable saying when they need to recharge, not power through until they snap.
• Open up about their own mental health struggles. ?? They could truly connect and inspire others by sharing stories about their experiences overcoming challenges through self-care.
• Join employees for morale-boosting activities, not flake to “catch up on work.” ??♀? Don't be that boss who skips team yoga to email about projections - wellness matters!
• Check in on staff’s personal lives, not just productivity metrics. ?? Good managers make time for genuine conversations, not just stilted chit chat before tackling the to-do list.

Managers who walk the talk on mental health wellness inspire employees more than any training ever could. ?? So lead by example! Destress with desert island vacays, set those OOO autoreplies, join the office medevial fight club. Whatever it takes for self-care.

?? Roleplay How to Handle Cray Cray ??

Nothing preps managers to support employees like practicing how to handle wacky scenarios that will 100% come up IRL.

Give them practice situations like:

• An employee freaking the heck out from anxiety.??
• A staffer threatening self-harm. ??
• A colleague coming to work wasted. ??
• Relationship drama making someone utterly useless at work. ??
• An employee wanting a two month sabbatical for “self-care.” ??

Have managers nail down responses through discussion and role play. Prep them for handling mental health crises without making things worse. ??

?? Make Managers Get Their Therapy On ??

Don’t let managers get by with a single day of mental health training. Give refreshers to polish their skills. And follow-up to make sure they’re applying learnings, not botching it. ??

Check in quarterly on how they’re doing. See if they need extra guidance supporting employees’ mental health IRL. ?? Celebrate when managers handle situations well. ?? And keep holding their feet to the fire on making employee mental health a priority. ??

HR peeps, take a bow for making managers step up on mental health! ?? This ongoing training fosters healthier, happier teams. Now about those stress balls and yoga rooms...??♀???