Celebrating World Mental Health Day: Actions to Promote Well-Being at Work
- Fahad Bin Khalid
- October 10, 2024
- 2:31 pm
- 94
World Mental Health Day is observed annually on October 10 to raise awareness of mental health issues worldwide and promote improved well-being. The theme for 2024 is "It's Time to Prioritize Mental Health in the Workplace." It goes a long way to point out the need to create awareness and support with regard to mental health in the workplace.
Creating a culture that prioritizes mental health in the workplace is essential for enhancing employee well-being and productivity. No matter if you are an employer or an employee, there are many ways to help yourself and your coworkers thrive on this important day and beyond.
Express Gratitude
One of the easiest, yet powerful things you could do to improve the mental health within your workplace is to express gratitude. Taking a moment to thank a colleague for their help or acknowledging their hard work can foster positive relationships and create a more collaborative environment. Gratitude builds good relationships and fosters teamwork in the workplace.
It has been connected with many changes in the emotional levels of both the giver and the receiver, thus making it a win-win situation.
Practice Email Etiquette
In this rapidly moving work environment, communication is the answer. Most stress on both sides of the sender and recipient will be greatly reduced through proper email etiquette. Ensure your subject line is concise, and expresses the purpose of your request. Your message should include an overview and any applicable timelines or deadlines.
You can include language such as "no reply needed" or "not time-sensitive" to assist your colleagues in managing their workload better. Also, key recipients should be in the 'To' field instead of CC, and you should ensure you avoid using "reply all" for one reason, which is just to clarify and give everyone a break from undue pressure from an overwhelming email thread.
No Meeting Days
Meetings can be an enormous stress and distraction. One way to minimize the impact could be designing the minimum number of no-meeting days of a month. Team members can be motivated to make no appointment on no-meeting days, so everyone gets to focus on their tasks without any disturbances. The alternative would be creating your meeting-less days wherein only the most essential meetings are scheduled.
Improving productivity aside, this allows a bit of breathing space in employees' schedules.
Engage in Mindfulness Activities
Mindfulness activities can dramatically improve psychological well-being in the workplace. Taking a minute to stop, breathe, and refocus can already do the trick. It is possible to achieve job crafting through mindfulness; employees can do mindfulness activities such as deep breathing or meditation.
There are several pretty cool apps to get into guided mindfulness practice that can easily fit into a busy workday.
Practice Job Crafting
As for job crafting, this means minor changes in work performance with the goal of improving experience and satisfaction. Imagine altering what you do, the sequence of things, or even an attempt to get to know colleagues whom you normally don't have much communication with. By looking at your tasks from different perspectives, maybe there's a new fun in your job.
Not just strong enough for individual engagement, the practice also forces groups to interact and innovate.
Source of Social Support
A supportive workplace requires the participation of all. Great listening and demonstration of emotional support towards colleagues make a place feel psychologically safe. If you find yourself in an administrative position, take the lead and be a model for healthy mental practices. Hold regular meetings with members of your team so that you can learn of any issues they may be undergoing and help them feel supported.
This shall lead to a more open culture where employees are more willing to share their mental issues with colleagues, resulting in a healthier work environment.
Mental Health Continuity Commitment
World Mental Health Day thus continues to be an important day that reminds one about a more holistic approach to mental well-being.
However, not considering mental health in the workplace remains an equally important task that needs continuous focus throughout the year. Incorporating these practices not just on this day but throughout the year, may help organizations create an environment that is productive yet genuinely propitious to value and support mental health.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, World Mental Health Day is an opportunity to know the importance of mental health for both employers and employees. Simple practices like expressing gratitude towards each other, having mindful communication, and supporting each other can help everyone contribute to a happy environment at the workplace. We create an environment that thrives and supports all, with an emphasis on mental health every single day.
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