Hello, Head, Meet Heart

One of the privileges of writing a book is to have the opportunity meeting all the wonderful fellow authors. Today I will share with you some thoughts about work place mental health from one of the talented fellow writers - Hannah Austin. Hannah is a highly sought-after corporate leader and management professional, specializing in the management and prevention of burnout for professionals. As the CEO and Founder of SheShatters, LLC, she draws on her experience consulting and coaching corporate leaders to provide employees- at the mid to high point of their careers with the support they need to burn brightly without burning out. Before founding SheShatters, Hannah spent 20 years as an executive in the healthcare industry. She faced immense pressure and witnessed her colleagues suffering the effect of burnout en masse. She became determined to make a change that would impact not only her own path in life but the paths of the many inspiring professionals she knew and worked with. Hannah founded SheShatters in 2021 with the goal of helping employees and managers to find a balance between their personal and professional lives, and on a macro level, leading a movement away from corporate hustle culture.

In the past few years, many significant changes have taken place in workplaces around the world, from the jobs we do to the way we do them and the working conditions we expect. Dealing with change in any capacity can be difficult, and while this change has been positive in many ways for employees seeking a more flexible work-life balance, it has also presented plenty of challenges to our collective mental health.

While no one has been immune to the impact of all of this, those running businesses and managing teams are now facing an additional challenge as they scramble to keep employees?happy, healthy and productive at work. If you have found yourself in this boat, you’ll find a few?tips in the paragraphs below.

Get to know the signs

Much progress has been made towards eliminating the taboo around mental illness in recent?years, but it doesn’t mean everyone will be willing to discuss their mental health openly. Your?staff may be fearful that discussing mental health concerns could cause their coworkers to think?of them differently, or even disqualify them from opportunities. That’s why it’s important that you?keep an eye out for behaviors that indicate an employee might be struggling; for example, lower productivity, tiredness, withdrawal and changes in work habits. Resources like the?Black Dog Institute Workplace Mental Health Toolkit?are excellent guides for those who are unfamiliar, and refresher courses for the whole team. Remote working arrangements can make it even harder?to pick up on these signs amongst your team, and if you’re concerned, it’s never too early to?take the next step.

Open the lines of communication

Mental health may have been a taboo subject in workplaces of the past, but the events of the past few years have started a mass dialogue about the things we could be doing to improve our lives at work. There are plenty of ways to initiate these conversations, and the best approach will depend on the mood in your workplace. When in doubt, a regular one-to-one catch-up with?each member of your team will let them know that you’re on their side and encourage them to?share any challenges or concerns.

Walk the walk

As we emerge from many years of burnout culture build-up, working professionals at every level may struggle to break unhealthy habits they have formed; for example, working when they are unwell or sacrificing important family time to work. At these difficult junctures, leadership teams set the tone for all other staff members, so be bold?–?choose work-life balance for yourself, and you will implicitly encourage others to do the same.

Run wellbeing initiatives

Whether you’re still in the office, working from home, or embracing a hybrid arrangement, there are plenty of ways to encourage your staff to invest in their physical and mental health and wellbeing. In-office ideas might include healthy snacks and standing desks, while remote workers may benefit more from gym discounts, health check-ups and remote team challenges.

For mental health, flexible working arrangements, wellness gift boxes and regular staff surveys are great initiatives?–?and you could always introduce a few challenges of your own.

Bring in external support

Breaking down a lived-in culture of burnout and overworking is a long-term proposition, and the process can be complex. Fortunately, there are online resources available as well as external coaches who can be an additional support for your employees in the workplace, like SheShatters, LLC who specialize in burnout prevention activities. For more information visit www.sheshatters.com.

Right now, the world is looking for ways to live and work better, and the companies doing it well?have the best chance of retaining staff during an employee’s market. Knowing this, it’s worth?considering whether there is more you could be doing to keep your staff happy, healthy and productive.

Where to from here?

If you are a manager or an employee seeking more information on maintaining positive mental and physical health in the workplace, there is no shortage of resources available to you created by experts on workplace burnout like Hannah Austin. Her book “Hello, Head, Meet Heart” is?available on Amazon.

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