All of us spend a significant time of our lives at work. The Covid-19 pandemic has practically taken work into our homes. Therefore, work affects our personal lives more than ever before. In addition to this, many other things in life influence our mental well-being in the workplace.
At the end of the day, we all have to deal with a lot of stress and anxiety. Hence, it is very important to take care of mental health whenever possible. Nowadays, mental health is not exclusively linked to personal life but affects our careers as well. As a result, now, more than ever, we must consider emotional well-being at work.
In this article, we will discuss how mental well-being affects productivity and what we can do to promote wellness in the workplace.
What is emotional wellbeing?
Emotional well-being is the ability to practice stress management and be resilient toward negative events and emotions in life. It promotes resilience, as a result of which we can adapt more easily when confronted by undesirable emotions in life.
Emotional health is affected by the environment we live in, economic situation, physical health, level of self-awareness, and overall stress in life. Because we spend so much time at work, whether in the office or at home, the workplace can cause poor emotional wellbeing.
Digital mental health providers like SupportRoom can help employees improve their mental health at work. A side effect of better mental health is increased emotional wellbeing, which positively affects productivity and performance.
Mental health in the workplace: Key Facts
Generally, working has proven to be good for a person’s mental wellbeing. However, the stressful work environment can cause mental as well as physical health problems. The study led by World Health Organization estimated that depression and anxiety cost the global economy $4 trillion in lost productivity annually. Keep in mind that this study only covers depression and anxiety disorders. It does not take into account burnout and work-related stress that eventually would increase these results significantly.
On the other hand, the current situation can be improved. If your company is willing to invest in employees’ mental wellbeing, then you can depend on reliable outcomes. According to WHO, every $1 you spend on emotional wellness, you will return $4 in improved health and productivity.
What is the impact of emotional wellbeing?
Mental wellbeing at the workplace has been overlooked for quite some time. This was due to the common belief that emotional wellness is not linked to performance at work. However, various studies have confirmed that well-being is linked to higher levels of labour productivity.
Furthermore, poor mental health leads to absenteeism at work. This means that employee engagement level is low, which negatively affects overall performance. Additionally, high levels of stress cause burnout and reduced productivity. Overall, the negative influence of poor mental health is quite apparent at work and is strengthened by empirical research.
Studies have shown that emotional wellness can have visible positive results in the company. More precisely, the outcomes include:
- Improved productivity and commitment
- Decrease of sick leaves
- Reduced employee turnover
- Employees are more able to manage stress and deal with mental health issues
You can have better financial performance due to increased productivity and decreased tardiness. Additionally, the insurance costs linked to poor emotional health can save your company money. To sum up, taking care of your employees’ mental well-being is not just a nice gesture but a necessity that most managers have to face.
How to promote emotional well-being in the workplace
There are a lot of strategies and activities that can promote emotional wellness at work. Some of them require a lot of resources and engagement, while others are quite easy to implement. Here are some of the ways to promote well-being in your company:
1. Conduct research about mental wellness
First of all, start with research, and find out what your employees’ experiences and mental challenges are. Tools like Hearteat Insights can help you create personalised surveys to improve employee engagement and performance within your organisation. Keep in mind that Measuring mental wellness is tricky, and even experienced professionals have a hard time doing it. So, no need to dive into it too seriously. Even a small survey can give you a good idea of what are your main challenges as a manager.
Conducting a survey could be a good signal for your employees that you are open to discussing mental health issues. Additionally, it is always good for morale and company image.
2. Encourage work-life balance
Do not ask your employees to work overtime unless it is absolutely necessary. Adopt a policy that prevents work-related communication after working hours are during the weekend. Give your employees a chance to experience life without work.
Furthermore, allow days off every month and encourage your staff to accept the opportunity to get a break from work. This way you can prevent burnout and increase productivity. Employees with happy personal lives perform better. And the key to personal wellbeing is the luxury of free time.
3. Start a discussion about mental health
Encourage discussions about mental health. Listen to employees with depression and anxiety disorders and try to create an atmosphere where they can thrive. Moreover, give your staff space to share their experiences of work-related stress and burnout. Ask them how can you help and involve them in the process of creating procedures for improving mental wellness.
If you are interested in improving workplace wellbeing, SupportRoom offers flexible mental health support for employees in the form of online therapy, self-help tools, and wellbeing monitoring. It also provides leaders with the opportunity to track what’s happening in the workplace and see where employees’ main stressors come from. This way, you can implement changes and mental health initiatives knowing exactly what’s going on behind the scenes.
4. Support physical wellbeing
Physical health has a direct influence on labour productivity. Additionally, it improves emotional wellbeing and is a good tool for dealing with mental disorders. You can come up with small challenges to support the physical health of your employees. For example, you can participate in marathons and practice for them as a team. You can also support employees that want to quit smoking by providing milestone gifts or small bonuses.
Remember that these activities do not need a lot of resources. Your company can afford them as long as you are willing to support emotional wellbeing in the workplace.
