How to Talk to Employees About Mental Health
Mental health is increasingly becoming less taboo in the workplace. Today, many employees are being open and forthcoming about their feelings. They are also advocating for their needs in ways they may not have otherwise done in the past.
As a manager or leader, it’s important to model appropriate discussions about mental health. It’s also essential that you know how to intervene effectively when you suspect someone on your team may be struggling. Let’s get into what you need to know.?
How to Support Optimal Mental Health in the Workplace?
1 in 5 American adults experiences a mental health condition. If left untreated, these conditions can undoubtedly affect job performance. They can also seriously compromise an employee’s emotional well-being.?
Furthermore, it’s no secret that job dissatisfaction, employee resentment, and workplace burnout all represent critical issues within professional settings. However, these problems are complex, and they can create even more barriers when it comes to productivity and success.?
Leaders, therefore, have essential roles in modeling effective mental health practices and cultivating supportive environments. Here are some practical ways to support a healthy workplace for your employees.?
"Leaders, therefore, have essential roles in modeling effective mental health practices and cultivating supportive environments. "
Model Work-Life Awareness
Not participating in activities that are aligned with your values can often lead to mental health symptoms. When employees feel like they must overextend themselves around the clock, they tend to sacrifice their need for rest, relaxation, and personal relationships.
A healthy life starts with you. This means trying to honor your own boundaries for how often you work and how you set communication boundaries with others. It also means prioritizing time off and vacations.?
If employees know that you value their personal well-being, they may feel more apt to honor their emotional needs. As a result, they tend to feel more creative, refreshed, and inspired in the workplace.?
Avoid Micromanaging
Employees often feel increased anxiety, resentment, and burnout when they feel micromanaged by their superiors. In more extreme cases, micromanagement can also feel like a form of workplace bullying.
If you struggle with micromanaging, awareness is the first step. To let go of your micromanaging tendencies, you will need to:
Letting go of micromanaging tendencies won’t necessarily eliminate mental health issues. But it can help employees feel more confident and creative in their environments. Likewise, if they don’t have to worry about you controlling their every move, they may feel more inclined to trust you.
"Employees often feel increased anxiety, resentment, and burnout when they feel micromanaged by their superiors. In more extreme cases, micromanagement can also feel like a form of workplace bullying."
Practice Self-Discloser (When Appropriate)?
Whether you realize it or not, employees pay attention to how you navigate stressful situations. They observe your interactions with others and energy levels throughout the day.
Therefore, it can be reassuring when people see your human side. Even a simple comment like Wow! This has been a tough week. I’ve been more anxious than usual, can open the door for employees to share more about their feelings.
Of course, you also want to be mindful of your professional conduct. You don’t want employees to feel like they need to take care of your emotions or tiptoe around your needs.?
Know When to Address Your Concerns
If you have identified that an employee is probably struggling, it’s important to take action. Avoiding the situation (or hoping that it will resolve on its own) may result in productivity losses or exacerbated mental health symptoms for your employee.
It’s time to have the conversation if your employee:
At this point, you need to schedule a meeting. Depending on your workplace policies, consider consulting with HR ahead of time. They can likely give you pointers on how to navigate the conversation (and, in some cases, they may request to be present).?
Ask Employees What They Want
If possible, commit to having ongoing, collaborative conversations with your employees. For example, what would help them feel more supported in their roles? What perks or privileges do they value?
If you don’t feel comfortable asking directly, engaging in routine, anonymous surveys may help.? Doing so can help you recognize trends. If everyone, for example, feels overworked or stressed, that’s a key sign that something needs to be changed.
Employees generally know that you can’t accommodate their every desire. But if they see you actively showing interest (and taking a proactive initiative) to improve their environment, they will often feel more supported.?
Look After Your Own Mental Health
If your own mental health is suffering, you won’t be as present and attentive at work. Your attitude, resilience, and ability to cope can undoubtedly affect the professional setting. If employees sense that you are struggling, they may feel even more discouraged or alienated from you.
As a manager, leadership starts with you. You owe it to yourself (and your team) to take a serious stance toward bettering your mental health. That may mean addressing burnout symptoms, implementing healthier boundaries, or seeking professional support.
Offer Ongoing Feedback and Support
As a general rule of thumb, it’s important to validate your employees for their work. Don’t assume they know how you feel!?
Make it a point to be specific when offering praise. For example, don’t just say, You’re doing a great job! Say something like I really appreciated how you handled that meeting last week. You were so assertive and confident in how you spoke. It reassured me why I gave you that project, and I’m excited to see the finished result!
Likewise, don’t neglect offering opportunities for ongoing support. Employees want to feel like their managers have their backs. At the same time, nobody wants to be a burden.
Therefore, you should try to model having an open-door policy for asking questions, collaborating, and problem-solving. If you sense an employee might be struggling with a task, extend a hand to help them. Even if they refuse your offer, they may feel reassured knowing that you’re paying attention to them.?
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Embrace Ongoing Wellness
It’s a good idea to celebrate employee initiatives toward wellness. You can also lead these efforts by offering wellness activities like group yoga classes, subsidies for gym memberships, healthy snack options, and other options that promote self-care.
Remember that productivity often increases when employees feel rejuvenated. That means that building wellness into the standard workday can have a positive impact on the company’s ROI.?
You don’t need to build these programs from scratch. As mentioned, it’s often helpful to solicit feedback from your employees. What kind of wellness incentives would they most value? If you already offer some, how effective have they found them to be?
How to Support Employees Sharing About Their Mental Health?
In today’s climate, it’s common for employees to be more upfront about their emotional struggles. Managers have an ethical responsibility to respect these disclosures and embrace supporting their team.?
If an employee comes to you disclosing their feelings, you want to be prepared for how to respond effectively. Dismissing or shaming them (even if it isn’t intentional) often worsens the situation, and you risk alienating your employees altogether. Here are some helpful tips.
Don’t Assume You Know What They Need?
Above anything, it’s important to be curious and open-minded when an employee divulges something personal to you. This rule applies even if you also identify with struggling with your mental health.
Remember that active listening is the golden rule. Try to pay close attention to what your employee is saying and avoid interrupting.?
If you don’t understand something, it’s okay to seek clarification. Remember that your job isn’t to automatically come up with helpful solutions. Instead, it’s about being collaborative in helping your employee find solutions to feel more comfortable at work.
"Remember that your job isn’t to automatically come up with helpful solutions. Instead, it’s about being collaborative in helping your employee find solutions to feel more comfortable at work."
Do Acknowledge That You Care
Talking about sensitive information at work often feels overwhelming. And even if you think it’s common sense, don’t assume that employees think you care about them. They may be concerned about their privacy or potential legal recourse.?
In addition, people feel intimidated or nervous around their bosses. They don’t want to displease them. You should consider that they may be nervous when having this kind of frank conversation.?
While talking, it’s important to emphasize that you value their well-being. If you’re the one initiating the conversation, you might want to start with a warm, opening statement like, I know this may feel a bit uncomfortable, but I want to talk to you about something. I’m having this conversation because I really care about you, and I value you working here.?
Moreover, it’s helpful to thank them for trusting you with their feelings. This small gesture shows that you appreciate them feeling safe with you.
Do Be Mindful of Internal Stereotypes or Biases?
We all have implicit biases about human behavior. For example, you might struggle with depression and have found a treatment method that works well for you. As a result, you may assume that others should also follow your path.?
Or, you may have a loved one who has bipolar disorder. Therefore, you might believe that their symptoms are universal- even if your employee has a very different presentation.?
These biases aren’t necessarily wrong, but it’s important for you to be aware of them. After all, you don’t want to project them onto your employees and inadvertently discard how they feel.
Therefore, try to maintain an unassuming, neutral stance. Mental health is inherently unique, and you want to respect your employee’s individual circumstances.?
Don’t Prod
Employees legally don’t have to disclose their mental health struggles with you. It is entirely their decision about what they share.?
Therefore, don’t try to press for more information. Doing so can make someone feel uncomfortable or defensive.
Instead, it may be helpful to encourage them to seek support from their loved ones or a professional therapist. At the same time, you can also emphasize that you are there for them and want them to feel safe expressing their feelings with you.
Do Consider Making Workplace Adjustments?
If your employee has requested specific accommodations, evaluate them as needed. You may need to consult with other managers or HR to determine if these requests are reasonable. In some cases, you will be legally obligated to make such adjustments.?
Keep in mind that some employees won’t necessarily request such accommodations. If that’s the case, it still may be helpful for you to review proactive solutions that may improve their mental health. Some potential options include:
Keep in mind that you will want to check in with your employee regularly. Their feedback is paramount in recognizing if specific changes have been beneficial. Likewise, you may need to make some changes along the way.?
Do Stay In Your Lane
As a manager, it’s important to know your own limits when it comes to intervening with your employees. You are not their friend, doctor, or therapist. Moving into that role may create boundary confusion for everyone.?
Likewise, it’s rarely helpful to offer unsolicited advice. It isn’t your responsibility to fix anyone’s problems. It also isn’t beneficial to give direct initiatives for how people should improve their mental health.
Therefore, if you feel like your employee is oversharing, make sure to emphasize that they seek more appropriate support. As mentioned, consulting with your HR may be the best course of action if you aren’t sure what to do next.?
Final Thoughts
Managers play a significant role in modeling mental health standards in the workplace. Like wiith most things in business, it’s a top-down approach, so try to practice what you preach.
Remember that most employees want to feel fulfilled and happy in their workplaces. The more you can honor those needs, the more productive (and resilient) your team will likely be.?
Kyle Kittleson Douglas Colbeth