Mental health in the workplace is a major concern in 2024 with stress and burnout related terms trending since the start of the year. This week alone, there has been a 67% rise in searches around support for mental health at work!
With Mental Health Awareness week approaching next month, world of work experts, Instant Offices have pulled together advice to help employers support their employees both during this time and beyond:
How Businesses Can Support Employee Mental Health
Break the Culture of Silence
There is still a stigma around mental illness that makes employees more likely to suffer in silence than share information with their managers or bosses.
Now is an ideal time for leaders within businesses to talk more openly about mental health and create a culture that encourages conversations around these issues. Taking a mental health day or asking for support should never impact an employee’s reputation or how they are perceived.
Keep Socialising With Your Teams
Remote working has its perks, but having a hybrid or fully remote work life can make a lot of people feel isolated. To combat this, employers can introduce social events both through zoom calls and in the office to create a space for employees to have informal bonding time with their coworkers.
Lead By Example
With many employees now working remotely, managers need to be more conscious of the challenges different households face. Encouraging flexibility, self-care and regular check-ins is key to reducing presenteeism and stress, and ensuring employees facing any issues can be identified and supported. Encourage transparent conversations and put action plans in place for team members who need help.
Introduce (or Keep Up) Team Activity and Training Sessions
With employees using tools like Zoom to connect with the office when working remotely, it’s a good idea for businesses to encourage morning catch-ups to keep everyone feeling like a part of a team. Encourage team members to take a class they’ve always wanted to try or to attend industry-related Webinars, this is a great way to support employees looking to upskill themselves.
Four Things Employees Can Do to Manage Stress
Get a Better Night’s Sleep: The number of Brits struggling with sleep problems has risen to over half of UK adults (51%). Some of the best ways to create a better sleep pattern include reducing caffeine intake, turning off screens, going to bed and getting up at the same time every day, and ensuring our bedrooms are as dark as possible.
Take a Digital Detox: The goal is to ensure you are informed enough to make decisions but not so overloaded with news headlines that it induces anxiety. A good idea is to choose a few authoritative resources and check in with them daily while muting channels that disrupt your sense of wellbeing, or using a tool to manage screen time.
Be Strict Around Work-Life Balance: It’s important to schedule the day into bitesize chunks and work in waves. Honour your ultradian rhythms, which run between 60 to 90 minutes, and then take 15 to disconnect and take a break. By working in waves, we become energised and find it easy to switch off from work when the end of the days comes.
If we can’t disconnect from work, we face the real possibility of burnout and making mistakes. I have my clients have a digital sunset, where they tidy their workspace ready for the following day and put everything work-related in that space. They visualise shutting down from work, and then walk around the block again, this time leaving work, and returning home. It’s crucial also to schedule enjoyable things in the evening.
Create a Calm Workspace When Working From Home: It’s not always easy to find an ideal space to work from at home. When deciding which space to work from, look for an area with natural light and temperate, fresh air, and minimal distractions. The space must be free of clutter and have comfortable furniture.
