Why it is important to Make Employee Mental Health a Priority for Improving Engagement

Your employees' health and happiness are extremely important to their productivity, engagement, and success at work. It's time to give staff wellness and mental health top priority, if you haven't done so before.

Consider the five closest acquaintances you have, perhaps those who are seated next to you at work. Statistics show that within the next year, at least one of them will encounter a diagnosable mental health difficulty of some kind, with varied degrees of severity (NAMI).

You can create a more positive workplace culture, keep people on board for longer, and watch your business flourish as a result of high levels of employee engagement if you prioritize the care of your employees' mental health. But how do you give employee mental health first priority? So, below, we've included a list of several highly efficient tactics you can use.

By Opening the Conversation, you may raise awareness and reduce Stigma

Bring up mental health while discussing medical care, health difficulties, and sick days because these topics are equally common as physical health issues. But you have to admit that.

Offer days for Mental Health

Everyone experiences mental health differently, and each person has a distinct coping mechanism. But there's one thing we can all agree on: sometimes you just need to take a day off. Offer mental health days to your staff if you want to improve their overall wellbeing and increase employee engagement.

"A day that doesn't entail engaging with significant sources of stress or irritation" is what is meant by a mental health day. It's a day to unwind, unwind, and generally take care of yourself. Employers need to understand that providing time off for mental health is equally as vital as providing time off for physical illness. Employees who take a day off for mental health purposes are more likely to return to work renewed and better equipped to engage.?

Offer Flexible Working Hours

Work-from-home days can significantly impact an employee's engagement and mental health. Not everyone performs at their best between the hours of 9am and 5pm, and many people find it challenging to focus on an office setting with all the noise and distractions. Offering flexible working alternatives can completely change a situation.

Whether your staff members prefer to work from home, a busy cafe, or a park bench shouldn't matter. The ability to work where they choose and having the choice to do so a few times a week is what matters most.

It's likely that an employee who has been acting distant and disengaged from coworkers is experiencing mental health issues and withdrawing as a result. Consider recommending that they spend a few days a week working from home. Simply providing this freedom can significantly improve how well individuals manage their mental health and participate with their work.

Give Folks a Secure Space to Exchange Information

The most crucial thing you can do to support your employees is to foster an environment at work where it seems safe and appropriate to discuss mental health difficulties. Communication opens up and many misunderstandings are cleared up when team members are able to share with their coworkers and management what they struggle with and how they can be supported. This leads to higher productivity.

Prioritize Effective Communication

One of the most crucial components of being a successful employer is communication. Since more people are aware of the benefits and services available for mental health, they are more likely to seek them out when necessary.

When it comes to addressing mental health, effective workplace communication is crucial because it enables you to avoid misunderstandings, show your employees that you care, and build positive working connections.

However, because it can be challenging to read emotions behind the words on the page, these communication channels might exacerbate anxiety or mental health concerns. This can frequently lead to overthinking and excessive levels of stress, especially in nervous individuals. This is why, wherever possible, it is always ideal to speak in person.

Establish a Safe and Healthy Workplace

Two of the most common mental health problems, anxiety and depression, are greatly exacerbated by stress. Longer-than-usual work hours and having to respond to business-related emails from home are two common workplace pressures. Some businesses go over and above by promoting physical activity, permitting social breaks, and inviting mental health professionals to conduct free assessments (or even to facilitate stress-reduction workshops).