3 Steps On How To Support Your Team With Mental Health

Mental health symptoms have always been present, but they were not as openly discussed as recently. With more employees than ever affected by mental health issues like burn-out and bore-out syndrome, employers are required to take action.

For a long time, people were reluctant to talk about their mental health. Staying strong and pushing through seemed to be the expected mindset in our society. With a rising number of people suffering from mental health symptoms, the problem is difficult to ignore.

Mental health at work

Like physical health, mental health plays a significant role in the productivity and efficiency of an employee. If left alone, they may end up taking long sick leaves. With many issues being triggered at the workplace, employers are at the source of a lot of issues. Two of the most staggering ones are burnout and boredom.

Burn-out vs. Boreout syndrome Burn-out has been around for decades now and somehow earned a rather bad reputation. Although real burn-out did exist, the term was overused for all stages of exhaustion. The number one trigger of burn-out is continuous stress which often but not exclusively occurs in the workplace.

Boreout syndrome, on the other hand, is a psychological state of intense boredom and apathy. It occurs when a task lacks mental stimuli, like menial tasks.

Consequences of mental health issues at work

In the short term, mental health problems can cause people to be alienated from their peers because of perceived unattractive personality behaviors. They can also cause anger, fear, sadness, and feelings of helplessness if the person does not know or understand what is happening. _   Employees that feel overwhelmed will struggle to keep up with their performance and motivation. Mental health issues of individual employees can potentially have a negative impact on team dynamics and even destroy good work dynamics within teams.

 

 

Mental health action plan for mental health at work

Do you want to create a workplace that contributes to the mental health of employees and avoids providing hindering triggers? Follow the DIMPACT mental action plan for mental health at work.     

1) Install a trusted communication system  

Check your current company processes and look for points of improvement and optimizations. Implementing systems that allow room for feedback and trusted dialogue can go a long way. An anonymous suggestion box, for example, gives employees the privacy they need to talk about their worries and fears. Knowing the pain points of your employees will potentially open your eyes to small and big issues you weren’t even aware of. Counteracting before those issues get out of hand is the main goal of installing a trusted communication system.  

  2) Tackle bore-out syndrome in your company  

While short-time work and home office contributed to boredom in certain jobs, they may have been present in subtler forms before. No matter what the reason is for certain job positions, now is the time to resolve it. An open dialog with employees is essential to creating an enabling environment. Listen to opinions and be open to their suggestions as well.   

3) Create a mental health support system  

Not every issue can be solved with a shift in tasks or a longer paid absence. The key to the long-term success of your business is providing a consistent mental health support system for your employees. Group dynamics offer important leverages when it comes to improving the mental health issues of employees. Supporting a company culture that stops the stigma of mental health issues and tackles the issue without prejudice or implied shame will strengthen you as a company and as a team.  

Mental health issues are not just a private matter

 

Employers are required to recognize arising problems and take appropriate measures. The business' long-term success depends on improving employee motivation and performance. How do you deal with mental health challenges at work? In our newsletter, we give you tips on how you can support yourself and your team. You can sign up on our website.