The workplace is busy even for teams that work well together. It’s inevitable, but anyone in a leadership position can start improving things overnight by introducing new strategies. Here’s how to provide mental health support at your facility and help everyone maintain their health.
Offer Wellness Paid Leave
Everything seems worse when there seems to be no end in sight. Employers may offer paid time off (PTO), but workplace policies or unhealthy dynamics can keep people from enjoying much-needed time away from the office.
Management teams can offer paid health leave in addition to any existing PTO plans. Team members can use the time for therapy appointments, yoga classes, or other activities that will restore peace of mind. They will be more inclined to use it for that intended reason than to take their sick leave when they are not actually sick.
It is necessary to enforce any paid leave as well. Work pressure may persist and influence people to avoid mental health-related leave. Managers can check in with their team members and schedule wellness days if no one takes advantage of their time off.
Provide Mental Wellness Memberships
Thinking outside the box to provide mental health support in the workplace creates more engaging and inclusive resources, so don’t stop at a new break room or paid time off. Managers can also fund wellness memberships through LSA programs from Benepass or other companies, or through apps specifically for mental health needs.
Team members can get personal help whenever they need it. Consider apps like:
- Height
- Pulsate
- Discussion Space
It will encourage workers to try something they may not have tried before. It’s a great form of support that will help people in the workplace, even if their career takes them down a different path.
Enforce Wellness Breaks
Sometimes people feel that they cannot leave their desk once the workday has started. Team members and leaders should encourage each other to take daily breaks for wellness. Managers also have a unique opportunity if they create schedules for their employees. Create a flexible time in each person’s day to give them the freedom to schedule their free time as needed.
If you are not sure when you or someone else should take a break from work, check for symptoms of burnout such as:
- Difficulty Concentrating
- Constant Fatigue
- Frustration
Adding and enforcing healthy breaks throughout the day will reduce symptoms of burnout that affect everyone’s mental health. Supporting each other also creates positive group energy, which people may need after a long period of feeling stressed or overwhelmed at their jobs.
Create a Recharge Station
People in situations where they have felt drained and negative need to recharge their social batteries. Stress and anxiety can drain your battery even faster, so it’s a familiar feeling at work.
You can create a recharging station at your workplace to solve this problem. A recent study found that rest restores a person’s peace of mind as well as their immune system, so this simple desk addition benefits people in more ways than one.
Place a bench in a shaded area outside or reserve a corner of the office kitchen for anyone who needs some alone time. Everyone will know they have a space to de-stress and return to their work with improved focus.
Encourage More Exercise
It works immediately to improve your blood circulation, which is useful for the liver. The membership of the local gym offered by the company does not make it easier to use. You can also get groups for hiking around the building or on the street with others. You will use a five-minute walk to produce miracles for your mental health.
