Why Mental Health Support Should Be In All Workplaces

Mental Health Support Is Needed In All Environments

Workplaces can be a source of stress for many, which may play a role in the onset of some mental health disorders.

A substantial one in four people will have a mental health problem in the UK alone. That is a lot of employees.

Many people may be predisposed to mental health disorders due to biology and a combination of lifestyle factors.

Moreover, work-related stress may enhance the suscepitability of one developing a mental health disorder.

How Mental Health Can Impact Work

It can impact work and productivity levels

For some with little support from organisations, it can create more of a burden for many people. Without the proper support, completing work may be the last thing on their mind, impacting productivity overall.

Legislation

The chief executive of Mind, a mental health charity, set out a new framework whereby employees can provide better workplace and workplace conditions for those with mental health conditions.

This means providing a safe space for them. Also, there is no difference in legislation between taking a day off work due to physical illness and taking a mental health day. Taking a day off work for your mental health is just as important as taking a day off for your physical wellbeing. Last year alone, Brits took over 130 million days off sick and of these days, 15 million days were due to mental health.

How COVID changed things

As many people were focused on working from home, it may be difficult for some to transition back to work (physically). Being in shared places can be quite overwhelming, especially if you have become used to working in your own environment and space.

Although it is essential to talk to others, interact and have friends, it can take a while to get adjusted. For some work institutions, some things may never be the same.

Finding a new cautious way of doing things has become the new normal forcing everyone to adapt.

Things workplaces should do

Have workplaces discussng the importance of taking care of yourself

Although it is a fairly new concept, it would be worth holding workshops whereby people are taught about mental health; signs and symptoms, disorders, and where to turn to when looking for mental health support.

Some workplaces have rolled it out where they hire a specialist to talk more on the matter. It is helpful to have such an essential point of discussions. It should be scheduled at least once a year and mandatory for all employees to take part in the workshop.

Team bonding activities

Getting to know your employees aside from in a stressful work environment can make all the difference. Many companies have mandatory team bonding days to stop focusing on work and focus on getting to know each other personally.

This will help build team morale that is for the business’s productivity levels and the employees’ wellbeing. By strengthening working relationships, it can help aid in relieving stress and anxiety.

More supervision

When entering a new workplace, many new employees get consistent supervision to ensure that they know what they are doing and better understand what is expected of them in the new role. This is essential from the company’s perspective. However, it would also be useful to use supervision as a debriefing session as well.

When I was working as a childline email counsellor at the end of each shift, I would discuss how the shift went and anything that made me uncomfortable or anything I wanted to talk about. The debrief lasted for a few minutes, but it was helpful to talk about stressful things to cope with, especially when dealing with children and young people.

Alternatively, when I worked as a support worker in 2018, I had supervision sessions every month. These were more geared towards what is going well in the job and what I need to improve upon. Many jobs (should be all jobs) have supervision sessions with employees and managers, but sometimes the focus is on the role, not how you are coping with stress.

Things that need to be worked on

Ensuring that everyone understand the importance of taking a mental health day

In the capitalist society, it is very restrictive in promoting the idea that you need to make as much money as you can when you can. It can have a debilitating impact on our well-being. Everyone must understand their right to access mental health support if they need to.

Just as individuals may speak with their doctor on their day off, they need to talk to someone on their day off too. Mental health support has continued to extend its services, especially since the pandemic. Check your listings in your local area to see where you can access mental health support; be it counselling or just talking to someone. Don’t delay getting help, as it may make things so much worse.

We need to continue changing the narrative that getting mental health support is what ‘crazy people’ do

A lot of work still needs to be done. In some cultures, getting help is the last resort and sometimes may not even be an option. This may translate in the workplace as well. Some people may not feel comfortable discussing what they may be experiencing with their managers and bosses to fear being seen as inadequate in their role.

A loved one of mine suffers from anxiety and has coped with it for years, and it started to impact their work. Thankfully, they could sit down with their manager to let them know what was going on.

Fortunately, the manager was supportive and asked if there was anything they can do to make their job more adaptable to their needs.

My loved one was dreading talking with their manager as they are aware of their stance on other topics, so they felt their reaction would be a negative one, but it wasn’t, thank God.

Take Away

Keep your mental health a priority always especially at work.

Find an outlet, talk to your manager if you can and continue to practice self care.

Thank you for reading.

Take care and stay safe.

XO

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