The workplace is traditionally focused on productivity, performance, and profit but a key factor in achieving success is employee well-being. With the increased influence on mental health on both personal and professional life, it is important to prioritise it in the workplace.
World Mental Health Day (10th of October) is a day to discuss issues relating to mental health in line with workplace bases interventions for staff members and a very important tool is Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), an intervention to address personal and professional issues that affect job performance and well-being. Services rendered are particularly confidential with the aim of improving workplace productivity, employee retention and overall organisational health.
Managers and employees are trained on recognising the signs of mental health issues among colleagues or superiors such as anxiety, depression, and burnout, and how to access the support resources available to them.
Currently, Pinnacle Medical Services is serving 27 organisations and managing over 3million Nigerian employees and their families in delivering work place mental health.
Some signs identified by colleagues towards an individual can include; being tired than usual, making mistakes or finding it hard to motivate oneself, isolating oneself, avoiding colleagues and appearing distracted, taking up more work, being suspicious of others, being chaotic and restless, anger outbursts, absence from work or not being tidy, sleeping less or active drinking.
It has been observed that a lot of individuals in distress try to stay hidden and keep to themselves as regards their feelings because of the fear of what other people will say or how they’ll be perceived. This has led to several issues for Individuals as the issue becomes bigger than they can handle. This is a wakeup call for workplaces to ensure that staff members feel safe and welcome to be the best version of themselves.
A very important but ignored aspect for employee’s mental health is how impacting adjustment can be. Adjustments can be in terms of location, job role, take-home salary and so on. In prioritising mental health in the workplace, it is advised that flexible measures can be put in place for staff members to slowly adapt to the new working conditions without the pressure of deliverables.
Additionally, a proper networking arrangement can be provided to help the flow in the new space.
Employees are advised to talk about their feelings to help them maintain their mental health and deal with troubled times. Stay healthy and looking out for one’s well-being through talking is not a sign of weakness as perceived. Individuals are encouraged particularly to identify anyone they feel comfortable with to share their feelings. In situations where one feels it is difficult to, notes can be dropped in the unit or department pigeon hole and discussion about it comes up collectively with no reference to a particular individual.
Additionally, being mindful of one’s activity level in the workplace is key. A physical job that requires individual presence every work day can be draining and over time influences one’s productivity, self- esteem or judgement. Individuals are encouraged to create a clear space between work time and personal time. In addition to that, engagement in a physical activity that one enjoys can help one feel better generally.
For individuals available to listen to others, interesting ways to connect with those who care to share is by maintaining eye contact with them, being open especially with bodily presentation, acknowledge what’s being said with the right gestures and repeating their words to be sure of what they say, ask appropriate questions and ensure you have a way to manage yourself from feeling overwhelmed.
The impact of what we eat can be overemphasised when talking about prioritising mental health in the workplace. An adequate diet particularly with lots of fruit and vegetables is essential for human growth. For some busy days which prevents eating together with others, individuals should be advised to take in more snacks like nuts or fruit to provide the necessary nutrients as opposed to the intake of refined sugar or caffeine.
Enjoying oneself at one’s job can help beat stress because it means one is good at it and is certain of the results even in the face of little challenges which further boost self-esteem. Such activity can be a hobby with other people such as work cycling, football games, painting, swimming and so on. Aside enjoying oneself in activities, it strengthens the spirit of bonding and reduces the chances of imposter syndrome.
In the same vein, we are encouraged to accept our uniqueness as compared to wishing to be someone else. Staying comfortable in one’s skin makes one feel good, accept challenges according to capability, recognise and accept things one may not do well and strength focus on what one can do well.
To prioritise yourself, take a break. This can be done by changing environment, scene or pace. It can also be a five minutes’ pause from what one is doing, weekend exploration, reading a book, gardening, connecting with nature or sleeping. It is advised to identify when to take breaks because requesting to take breaks when one has been over stressed may not provide the level of satisfaction considering the time given because the body is aimed towards repair at this point. While on leave, resist the temptation to check in with work and focus on the healing process.
To support others is to care for them. This helps strengthen relationships with people, makes them feel needed and valued, provides us the sense of joy in being an instrument to someone’s happiness. This can be done by checking in with your colleagues and create an opportunity to discuss how they are doing, offer to be a mentor or coach or a supportive friend.
Supporting an individual with mental health issues is by encouraging them to seek help, being aware of their triggers and avoiding them, welcoming them back to the organisation, checking in on them when away from the organisation, ensuring that the workplace is safe for them to be, help them get back into their work routine, invite them out for bonding moments so they don’t feel left out and constantly providing good words by reminding them of how important they are.
Managers are also encouraged to pay attention to staff welfare by ensuring appropriate leave period, provide tools for work and ensuring regular team meetings for review of performance and how to ways to ensure a more productive workforce.
EAP is tailored to apply specialised knowledge and expertise about human behaviour and mental health, improving the productivity of the workplace. In prioritising mental health, try open communication channels, practice some stress management programmes and address workload and demands.
By supporting employees’ mental well-being, more productivity, enhanced creativity, retained top talent, and a positive, thriving workplace is achieved.
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