Effectiveness at work is has strong links to mental health and wellbeing; research has found that employers can see a 10% increase in performance by prioritising employee engagement and wellbeing.
Mental wellbeing at work is not isolated from wellbeing at home and vice versa. Being healthy and happy in one can significantly improve wellbeing in the other.
We can each be somewhat responsible for our own mental health in the workplace and can take care for ourselves by managing our exposure to stress. Taking regular breaks away from the desk, particularly outside wherever possible is a simple and effective way of doing this. Other good methods include; developing good social support, effective rest and good sleep hygiene, active strategies such as regular exercise.
An initiative called Five Ways to Wellbeing gives good, simple advice on the best ways to obtain mental wellbeing;
©wellbeinginfo.org
There are a number of simple things an employer can provide to have a positive effect on healthy mental wellbeing both within the workplace and outside of it. These include:
- Flexible working options
- Mental health awareness training for managers.
- Sharing definitions and fostering an environment of open discussion surrounding mental health.
- Involving employees at all levels in decision making.
- Good access to and promotion of employee assistance programmes and occupational health.
- Introducing performance review processes.
- Implementing peer mentoring programmes.
- Access to executive coaching for directors and managers.
CiC are always happy to discuss wellbeing in your workplace, either from a personal, team or organisational perspective. Please get in touch with any questions or comments.