Mind & Mission know that unless we tackle the main sources of stress at work any reactive effort will become a constant and potentially wasted overhead.
If you have started making headway into changing leadership culture, role modelling the behaviours which demonstrate commitment and determination to remove excessive workplace stress, then it is time for you to start thinking about gaining insight into issues and what other measures you could introduce.
It’s a positive sign that organisations are responding to the mental health crisis and bringing in opportunities for employees to benefit in the workplace. It may be that you’ve already rolled out activities and education in your organisation to improve workplace mental health. What we would recommend is that you carefully assess whether these were chosen because that’s what other organisations are doing or if it is really right for you and your staff.
Different measures will work in different organisations across different industries and demographics. Some of them don’t have to be costly, for example, allowing on site head and back massage is a good opportunity to bring benefits to employees who don’t necessarily have the time to go out of working hours. It can encourage the positive measure of taking breaks during the working day.
Other measures should encourage employees to:
- Take regular exercise
- Get 7-9 hours’ sleep every night
- Eat a balanced diet
- Leave work at work
- Speak up when things get too much
- Feel comfortable saying no to too much overtime
Many employers encourage walking at work to ensure that employees take breaks but also get some exercise during the day. Mindfulness training is a popular programme as it teaches employees to disconnect with doing and reconnect with being.
The concept of Mental Health First Aiders is somewhat controversial. It is the practice of having a member of staff undertake basic training to sign post staff to other support mechanisms. Mind & Mission do not currently support this for corporate environments.
There are numerous free apps which can support employees. You should become familiar with the most popular ones and ensure that staff are aware of additional free support.
Many employers have introduced Employee Assistance Programmes or EAPS.
Last but by no means least, education is still one of the most important measure you can introduce. Education can provide an understanding that allows staff to take responsibility for their own wellbeing, cope in difficult circumstances, manage their own thoughts better and importantly, understand what might be happening to them before circumstances escalate and absence is necessary.
While these measures don’t address the causes of workplace stress, they are necessary to ensure that employees understand they are supported, both at the start middle and end of the employee life cycle.
