Stress in the workplace – Stress awareness month

This month is stress awareness month and we have been thinking a lot about how as business owners, you can help your staff to manage their mental health and wellness.. While a little bit of stress is fine, knowing when it’s becoming an issue is very important, especially as an employer. That’s because too much stress can be hugely damaging for your people, and therefore your business. What are you currently doing to support wellbeing and promote good mental health in the workplace?

You might not be able to answer this. It’s not through lack of want, but more not knowing what to do in the first place. We completely understand this and here’s some tips on where to start…

Wellness action plans are a great place to kick off.

1. Show your team that their wellbeing matters to you

You can do this by creating wellness action plans. Ensure everyone is taking their allocated breaks and be strict about this. Perhaps you might consider a subsidised gym membership or contribution towards holistic therapies, if your budget can stretch. Get a motivational speaker or therapist to come in to speak with your team, or create a team challenge that involves physical activity.

There’s lots of information around mental health awareness & stress which you can use to help support your employees, mental health.uk explain stress here in detail, the signs to watch out for and how it might affect people.

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/a-z-topics/stress

2. Make sure your employees know how to speak to you about problems

Communication channels are key here. By having regular 121s with your team about their mental health, you’ll encourage them to be more open and honest about problems they might be facing.

3. Ask for training

As an employer, it can be tricky to know what to say and how to take action when someone isn’t feeling their best. That’s why awareness training is really important to help you spot the early signs of a mental health condition and know the best way to help.

For more information or training on wellness and mental health in the workplace, feel free to contact us, we’d love to speak to you.