Tag: Career Mental Health

How to Prioritize Mental Health in the Workplace | Entrepreneur

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Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

How much do you consider mental health in your overall well-being? Many business owners sacrifice their own emotional stability and personal satisfaction for what they believe to be the greater good of the organizations they run. Or they are too lost in all the noise of operating and growing a company even to consider self-care. But there is no rulebook out there that states business owners can’t have a thriving business and a healthy mind. It is all about positive psychology.

Positive psychology is the scientific study of human flourishing. It focuses on factors like hope, happiness and optimism. Positive psychology is a proactive approach to mental health, not unlike wellness, which is to physical health. We often see a doctor when we feel sick or experience the onset of a disease, which is a reactive approach to physical health.

A more proactive approach is to adopt the kind of healthy lifestyle choices that reduce our chances of getting sick in the first place. The same thing applies to mental health. We might see a therapist if we are in the throes of a mental health crisis, but it would surely be preferable to take a proactive approach to avoid a psychological emergency in the first place.

Dr. Martin Seligman is an American psychologist and leading researcher widely considered the “father of positive psychology.” Seligman coined the term PERMA, an acronym that represents what he asserts are the five essential elements of mental health: Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning and Accomplishment. The concept of PERMA is intriguing, specifically as it relates to the business owner’s emotional journey and mental health.

Applying the concepts of PERMA to ourselves as business leaders is a great step in the right direction. Then, fostering opportunities to advance the PERMA ideology throughout your organization can dramatically enhance your company culture. I mean, who doesn’t want a team of emotionally healthy, mentally prosperous and happy people working for them?

Let’s consider the facets of PERMA and how business owners can apply them to foster positive psychology throughout their organizations.

Related: 5 Reasons We Should Make Our Health a Priority Over Our Business

P — Positive emotions

Not to be confused with happiness, positive emotions include personal feelings of love, joy and hope, among others. Seligman posits that our thoughts and actions improve when we cultivate and integrate positive emotions into our lives.

First, focus on creating a culture of gratitude to help infuse positive emotions in your business. Recognize and celebrate achievements. Encourage your team to find joy in the work they do and in their interactions with others.

Related: How Positivity Makes You Healthy and Successful

E — Engagement

Engagement is our ability to achieve a desirable state of flow in which we ditch our self-consciousness and allow ourselves to be absorbed in something we enjoy. It is about being substantively present in the moment rather than focusing on the mental baggage of the past or anxiety for the future.

In your leadership role, provide employees growth and career development opportunities that encourage mastery, such as mentorship programs or advanced skills workshops. Implement ways to instill active involvement, autonomy and personal decision-making in the roles of every employee.

R – Relationships

We all know that deep, meaningful relationships with others are vital to our well-being. Seligman says that humans are inherently social creatures who thrive on feeling valued and supported by others. These social interactions may also stave off cognitive decline and physical health issues.

As a business owner, be an active listener, reinforcing the importance of strong interpersonal relationships throughout your organization. Create opportunities for team bonding and collaboration.

Related: How to Build a Positive Relationship With Your Boss and Colleagues

M – Meaning

Having meaning in our lives adds purpose and value to our actions. It is that connection with something bigger than ourselves. A sense of meaning might come from the business one runs, the causes one supports or one’s spiritual beliefs. Meaning increases personal satisfaction in our daily lives.

Ensure your company mission and vision are meaningful to your team. Create in-house opportunities for employees to contribute to the causes they care about. Let your people know how important they are to the success of your business.

Related: 3 Ways to Help Employees Combat Burnout and Create More Balance

A – Accomplishment

Being successful at the things we do can dramatically enhance our mental well-being. Accomplishment refers to the final product and the orchestration, mastery and self-motivation that propels a person to achieve great things.

To support a culture of accomplishment in your business, set clear and attainable SMART goals for employees, departments and the organization. Celebrate big achievements, as well as little wins along the way. Understand that setbacks are often catalysts for growth, so provide constructive feedback when employees fall short of expectations.

Proactively incorporating positive psychology and infusing the tenets of PERMA throughout your business can lead to a healthier, happier and more meaningful existence for you and your entire team.

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Jason Zickerman

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August 28, 2023
We Need a Real Commitment to Mental Health at Work. Here’s How (and Why) | Entrepreneur

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Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

There’s quite a lot of dialogue about employees’ mental health taking place now in the corporate world — the importance of prioritizing wellbeing, making work a safe place to be and shifting the expectation away from dangerous stress and burnout.

But how much is really changing?

While workplace discourse may be shifting to acknowledge the importance of employee mental health, many are just paying lip service to it. What we don’t want – and what I sometimes fear – is that mental health awareness is becoming the latest trend without a real deep connection to how to support the workforce best. With a doctorate in psychology, more than 20 years of expertise as a psychologist, and 12 years as a coach and trainer, I am seeing firsthand little change in large organizations. Unfortunately, what continues is the negative impact on employees from working in environments where their mental wellbeing is not a priority.

Yet it’s desperately needed. Seven in 10 people globally are struggling with mental health issues, and there’s a trillion dollars’ worth of lost productivity due to anxiety and depression in the global economy.

In 2023, the Workforce Institute at UKG surveyed 3,400 people across 10 countries and found that two-thirds of employees would accept reduced pay for a job that better supports their mental health. They found that managers impact employees’ mental health (69%) more than doctors (51%) and spouses (69%). Even the 2022 Gallup State of the Global Workplace survey data found that 60% of people are emotionally detached at work – with 19% saying they’re “miserable” and 44% experiencing stress “a lot.” Interestingly, they found that employees who are “engaged but not thriving” have a 61% higher likelihood of ongoing burnout than those who are “engaged and thriving.”

Supervisors micromanaging their employees’ workday is a crucial issue impacting employees’ mental health. Having someone sit at your shoulder all the time and not trusting you to execute your tasks causes increased stress and anxiety for people – yet in the U.S., a study in 2020 revealed 64% of employees felt micromanaged. As leaders, developing a trusting relationship with your employees is essential. Employees and their managers will never establish a culture of trust if micromanaging is taking place.

Something needs to change.

We already know that a mentally and emotionally healthy workforce is essential for a company’s success and long-term sustainability. Focusing on wellbeing fosters a positive work environment, improving productivity and reducing absenteeism. And when employees feel valued, they’re more likely to remain with the company longer. We know that high employee retention rates contribute to lower recruitment and training costs and a more experienced and cohesive team. It’s a no-brainer: we need a “people-first” culture.

So, how do we make the workplace a safe place for people to get the support they need?

Related: How to Spot Entrepreneurial Burnout (Before It’s Too Late)

The importance of workplace culture

Having a people-first workplace culture focused on flexibility, wellbeing and support is one that does not prioritize working their employees to exhaustion and burnout.

Many companies say they’re committed to supporting mental health in the workplace, yet that’s not what they’re modeling. Instead, they’re modeling working 60 hours a week and seemingly expecting that if management adds ten items to your to-do list, you must prioritize every single one, immediately. Many employees won’t say no because they fear getting fired. There needs to be alignment between what companies say they will do and what they are actually doing.

How can leaders and their organizations make meaningful change, and what does that look like?

Related: How Entrepreneurs Can Protect Their Mental Health While Being Their Boss

1. Ensure wellbeing is an integrated part of company culture

Wellbeing and mental health are ongoing areas that must remain priorities. How do companies show employees they care? Mental health support should be part of an ongoing, ever-evolving commitment in the workplace that develops and adapts to the evolving needs of the employees.

What policies do you have in place as a leadership team? How does the culture encourage wellbeing right now? What needs changing, what needs supporting and what needs to stop? Don’t think of wellbeing inclusion as a “quick fix.” Assess your current policies and discuss how they may need to be improved.

Creating a Mental Health at Work Charter is one way to solidify your organization’s commitment. Tailor it to align with the business model, and it will serve as a roadmap to achieve better mental health outcomes for employees. Try starting with what you plan to do each year – and don’t forget to include time to reevaluate and gather feedback from employees on what they believe the company can do to support them.

One option might be to communicate that mental health sick days are valid in your company. Taking a mental health day when things seem too much could mean an employee avoids burnout. Some companies in the U.S. offer once-a-month “self-care days” to their staff, which doesn’t come out of their vacation allowance, but gives employees an extra “free” day off to take time out for themselves.

Another option may be assessing your flexible working policy. Since the pandemic began, companies now proudly display their “hybrid” policies on job advertisements — but requiring people to come into the office four days a week on specific days, with one day from home, isn’t true flexibility. What is your policy, and does it really support people’s needs?

2. Seek to understand the needs of your employees

Employees with diagnosed mental health or neurodivergent conditions often fear discrimination or bias or are concerned about stigma. To create a safe and inclusive environment, organizations should provide training and education on mental health and neurodiversity for managers and leaders, and ensure policies and practices are in place to prevent discrimination and bias. Managing a diverse workforce well involves learning about these differences and how they impact interpersonal relationships, communication, productivity and wellbeing.

Support can come in many forms, but what is it that your workforce needs? This is best decided by speaking directly to your employees or doing a staff survey, to explore which parts of the culture are seen as conducive to mental wellbeing and what needs improving.

Companies could also use mental health ambassadors to create focus groups around what they believe the company can or could do to improve its commitment. Once you have a working group, you could set up monthly workshops on different themes: belonging, inclusivity, mental health days and burnout. It’ll bring people together and gather honest feedback.

3. Lead by example

Modeling healthy behaviors is a crucial step in prioritizing mental wellbeing at work. Many employees may be told they don’t need to work late or answer emails on the weekend – but if they see their manager doing so, they take that as a hint that it’s the best way to be at work. It’s no good saying you support mental wellbeing and a healthy work-life balance if you don’t model it. But by doing so, your staff will feel it’s acceptable to prioritize self-care and set boundaries.

Related: Entrepreneurship Is All About Overcoming Obstacles

Don’t worry so much about improving your team’s mental health that you forget about your own. Let them know if you’re leaving early to get some much-needed downtime. Remind them that you go for a walk in the middle of the day to gain some clarity (plus exercise and fresh air), or let them know when you’re entirely switching off your emails and laptop in the evenings and for your vacation.

4. Create a culture of connection

An excellent way to commit to an ongoing conversation about mental health in the workplace is to build and nurture a culture of connection through check-ins. You may already have one-to-ones with your employees — but how are these usually structured? Perhaps an update on their weekly tasks, deadlines and ideas for the future?

Consider making mental health a part of these meetings. A study between Mind Share Partners, SAP, and Qualtrics in 2020 found that 41% of employees wanted their manager to ask them about their mental health and wellbeing. Of course, your job isn’t to be their counselor, but you can listen, learn, and identify if additional support is needed.

A simple “How are you really doing?” or “What concerns do you have about work or outside work?” Let them know they can come to you if they have any worries or stressors, and you can work together to address their concerns.

Related: Why Your Mental Health Is the Key to Your Success in Business

As always, an investment in mental health — like any investment into a company’s culture — takes time. But it also requires the whole company’s deep commitment and belief that it’s needed. By investing in the wellbeing of their workforce, businesses benefit in many ways, ensuring long-term success in an increasingly competitive market.

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Dr. Samantha Madhosingh

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May 18, 2023
Screen Time and Mental Health: How to Protect Your Children | Entrepreneur

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Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

As a business owner and parent, I understand the struggle of balancing the benefits of technology with its potential negative impact on mental health. In this digital age, finding the right balance between screen time and other activities is crucial for the well-being of both children and adults. Join me on this journey as we explore how to prioritize mental health while navigating the digital landscape.

The balancing act

When it comes to digital devices, finding the sweet spot between too much and too little is vital for a healthy relationship with technology. Screen time can be beneficial for children’s mental development, allowing them to learn new skills, connect with others and discover new interests. However, too much screen time can have negative consequences, such as sleep disruption, decreased physical activity, and a higher risk of depression and anxiety.

Striking the right balance between screen time and other activities can help children reap the benefits of technology without harming their mental well-being. Encourage your children to partake in outdoor play, creative endeavors and social interactions as a counterbalance to their digital diets. You may be pleasantly surprised to discover that their new off-screen hobbies bring about laughter, a surge of creativity and unbridled joy.

Related: Are Digital Gadgets Good For Your Children?

Sleep vs. screen time: The eternal struggle

A good night’s sleep is essential for children’s mental health, but bedtime tantrums are real, especially when a digital device is lying around. The blue light from screens can deceive their brains into thinking it’s daytime, making it harder for them to drift off to dreamland. To avoid tossing and turning and the dreaded cranky mornings, establish a screen-free bedtime routine with calming activities such as reading, puzzles or meditation. And who knows? You might just score some much-needed peace and quiet…maybe.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, children between the ages of 6 and 13 need between 9 and 11 hours of sleep per night. Lack of sleep can affect children’s cognitive abilities, behavior, and emotional well-being. Therefore, it’s important to establish healthy sleep habits that include a screen-free bedtime routine.

The social scene: Fostering connections in the digital age

Technology is a double-edged sword – while it allows our kids to connect with friends and family near and far, it can also inadvertently lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation. A study published in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology found that people who spend more time on social media experience higher levels of anxiety and depression.

To combat the negative effects of social media, encourage your children to maintain in-person connections and engage in group activities to boost their mental well-being. By finding a balance between online and offline social interactions, you’ll help them forge strong relationships and cultivate a sense of belonging. You can also set boundaries around screen time, such as limiting the use of devices during meal times or family outings.

Screen time 2.0: Mindfulness in the digital world

Not all screen time is equal. While aimlessly scrolling social media or binge-watching YouTube videos might not be a mental health booster, engaging in educational, creative or interactive content can yield positive results. Prod your kids to use their screen time wisely by exploring educational apps, acquiring new skills or joining virtual clubs and organizations. Mindfulness is the secret sauce that makes a world of difference.

Mindfulness is the practice of being present and aware of one’s thoughts and feelings. It can help children and adults develop emotional regulation, reduce stress and anxiety and improve focus and attention. Encouraging children to practice mindfulness while using digital devices can help them develop a positive relationship with technology.

Related: How Leaders Can Create a Company Culture that Prioritizes Mental Health

The holy grail: Quality time with your kiddos

In this digital era, the importance of quality time with your children cannot be overstated. By setting aside regular screen-free family time, you’ll strengthen your bond and support their mental health. Whether it’s a family game night, a shared meal or a weekend escapade, these moments of connection are invaluable in creating a nurturing and supportive environment for your offspring.

Research has shown that quality family time can lead to better mental health outcomes for children, including improved social skills, self-esteem, and resilience. It can also help reduce the negative effects of screen time and strengthen the parent-child relationship.

Related: How to Raise Entrepreneurial Minded Kids

The role of parents

As parents, it’s our responsibility to model healthy screen habits and establish guidelines for our children’s digital use. This includes setting limits on screen time, monitoring their online activities, and promoting the use of technology for educational and creative purposes.

It’s also important to have open and honest conversations with our children about the potential negative effects of screen time on mental health and the importance of finding balance in all aspects of life. By working together as a family, we can create a positive relationship with technology while prioritizing mental health and well-being.

Navigating the digital landscape while prioritizing mental health for children and adults can be thrilling and challenging. By embracing the quirks and complexities of life in a tech-saturated world while remaining vigilant about promoting healthy screen habits for all ages, we can raise resilient beings who can thrive both online and offline. As parents and individuals in this new tech epoch, we’re doing our best. So let’s cut ourselves some slack and continue on this journey with a focus on creating a positive relationship with technology. By prioritizing mental health and well-being, we can ensure a bright and healthy future for ourselves and our children (and more sleep?…maybe, maybe not).

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Ron Sheth

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May 8, 2023
4 Ways Leaders Can Create a Company Culture that Prioritizes Mental Health | Entrepreneur

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These past several years have taught us a lot about ourselves. The workplace has changed drastically, and we’ve discovered our capabilities as much as our boundaries. In doing so, there have been many changes – one of those being the discussion of mental health in the workplace.

There is no doubt that mental health affects work in a variety of ways, whether it is related to job performance, job satisfaction, or even employee retention. As leaders, we are responsible for fostering a company culture that puts the mental well-being of our team at the forefront.

In honor of May being Mental Health Awareness Month, here are four ways leaders can prioritize mental health in the workplace:

Encourage breaks: Five minutes can change the next five hours of your day

It is no secret that work can cause anxiety, stress and burnout. As the workplace evolves each day, so does employees’ mental health. While work can be a fulfilling and energizing place, it is important to set aside time for breaks so that we put ourselves first. At The UPS Store, we know how important this is for entrepreneurs and small business owners, and it is critical to keep this in mind amid the everyday challenges of owning a business.

Five minutes can truly change five hours of your day. By taking a few moments to practice mindfulness, meditate, go on a short walk, or even just step outside and take in some fresh air, you can become more equipped to handle stressful situations. Additionally, you can be more energized and relaxed when tackling the rest of your day.

Although taking breaks sounds good, the reality of taking them is not as easy as it sounds. That is why leaders must encourage breaks to ensure the well-being of employees. Whether it is sending out an email to remind employees to step outside or hosting a lunch event where no technology is allowed, there are several ways to get your employees to take breaks and prioritize their well-being over work demands.

Related: You Have to Lead Yourself Before You Can Lead Others — How to Master the Art of Self-Leadership

Empower colleagues to set boundaries and say no

Setting boundaries is a great tool to help prioritize mental health over the constant demands of work. Sometimes an employee may feel overwhelmed with too many tasks, and that is where setting boundaries can be helpful. By setting boundaries, employees can avoid situations that may lead to high stress or, even worse, burnout. One way to do this is by simply saying, “No.” By saying “no” to certain things, employees can find themselves in a better position to say “yes” to the things that matter.

Empowering employees to have a life outside of work is paramount to success. As our world increasingly addresses how to approach work-life balance best, we are finding that being fulfilled outside of work directly impacts life at work. When employees have time for themselves to do the things they love, work becomes less of a burden and more of a desire.

Have an open dialogue

Fostering a culture that prioritizes mental health means opening the door to conversations around it. Creating an open dialogue around mental health will allow employees to feel more comfortable speaking about the struggles they may be facing and allow leaders to understand better what’s going on in their life. Through candid discussions, leaders can more effectively place the mental well-being of their teams at the forefront of the business.

Ways to create an open dialogue around mental health could include hosting seminars, encouraging employees to use their vacation time, or setting aside time to check on employees in a private setting individually. No matter the format, it is important to authentically communicate with employees so they feel genuinely cared for and bring their true selves to work.

Related: 5 Ways to Protect Your Mental Health

Create a culture of gratitude

Gratitude is scientifically proven to impact our well-being. Listen to any happiness-based podcast or read any self-help book on the subject, and you will find that many researchers point back to gratitude as a source of positivity. This isn’t by mistake: Gratitude can posture us towards the things that are good in life rather than bad. And the same applies to work culture.

Showing gratitude for others is one of the most effective ways of enhancing performance and fostering positivity. Not only is it a source of motivation, but it also impacts the overall happiness factor for your business. If employees are constantly surrounded by gratitude at work, that sense of appreciation can become infectious. The key to creating a culture of gratitude is that it must come honestly from one person to another — and when it does, the effect is formidable.

By putting mental health at the forefront of company culture, it can spark more creativity, build relationships and encourage an overall higher quality of performance. Of course, there are endless ways to incorporate mental health strategies into your business, so long as they authentically speak to your workforce.

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Michelle Van Slyke

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May 2, 2023
How to Improve Mental Wellness in the Workplace

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It’s widely recognized that having a healthy mind and body is necessary to have a healthy, productive work life. But as life continues to move at an increasingly fast pace, this is much easier said than done.

As a business owner, it’s important to stay aware of your mind and body’s needs so you can remain productive and creative. But it can be easy to let these things slip by the wayside during busy seasons — and honestly, what seasons aren’t busy as an entrepreneur? Many of us are familiar with late nights at work, forgetting to eat meals or exercise and unfortunately dealing with great deals of stress, exhaustion and burnout. Although it’s important to pay attention to the needs of your body and mind, it’s also important to remember your employees have the same needs.

Life and work are intertwined in a way that cannot be separated. It might seem simple to put aside whatever you’re dealing with at home to focus on work for the day, but it’s not realistic. Similarly, problems at work come home with you. Both our personal lives and our work lives affect our moods, energy levels and ability to focus. If your child is sick or you’re having a tense argument with your spouse, of course you aren’t going to be able to fully engage in your job — what’s going on at home is more important to you. And problems in the workplace, such as stress, burnout or a negative work environment will affect your mood and energy level when you go home. You might make your argument with your spouse worse because you’re tense and stressed out, or you might be unable to sleep because you dread returning to your toxic work environment the next day, further exacerbating the problem.

Related: How I Failed Miserably As a Leader and Ultimately Improved My Company

By promoting the mental and physical health of your employees, you can create a better working environment and encourage employees to succeed, creating a more sustainable workplace in the long run. Happy, healthy team members will be more productive and create better results for your company. But promoting your team’s health isn’t as simple as putting some exercise equipment in your office, especially when you factor in mental health, which is complex and can majorly affect the way a person thinks, feels and performs their job. Strong mental health is reliant on several factors, but here are a few necessary things, which you can apply in various ways for you and your team:

1. Fuel your mind with good food and hydration

Staying hydrated and eating well is necessary to keep your body and mind running. And brain functions like energy, focus and creativity are some of the first to suffer when you don’t get these things. If you forget to drink enough water, it might be beneficial to use a large water bottle with measurements on it to keep track of exactly how much you’re drinking. This is an easy tool you can provide for your team as well. It’s a good idea to keep healthy snacks around the office, both for yourself and your employees. Some foods will give you a burst of energy, while others, especially fat- and carb-heavy foods, will slow you down or make you sleepy. Having healthy options easily available will help you make good choices. Another way to promote healthy eating for your team is to allow them to work from home, where they can cook healthy meals for themselves. When employees are in a rush to reach the office in the morning, where they might order takeout or pack things that are quick and easy rather than nutritious for lunch.

Related: 6 Healthy Habits to Maximize Your Mental Health and Get You Through Your Worst Days

2. Prioritize sleep

Sleep is possibly even more important than food and exercise, but unfortunately, it’s overlooked by many people. A phenomenon in many offices is a sort of competition to see who slept the least. If you notice this kind of attitude toward sleep, it may be worth addressing. Often lack of sleep is due to bad habits, but it can also be a result of busy schedules that don’t allow enough time to sleep. To ensure you and your employees have enough time to sleep, consider offering flexible working hours, which will allow them to adjust their schedules if needed.

Related: How Serving in The Army Taught This Leader The Importance of Employee Wellbeing

3. Exercise stimulates the mind

Did you know that sitting is literally killing you? Excessive sitting lowers your life expectancy, and it can lead to injuries from repetitive motions and weakened muscles. And as we all know, exercise is excellent for both the body and the brain. Have you ever noticed that some of your best ideas form when you’re exercising? Or have you ever taken an exercise break and come back to your work feeling energized and highly productive? Take regular breaks to go for walks, and encourage your team to do the same. Even if those breaks take 10-15 minutes out of the workday, they will increase your team’s overall productivity. You can also provide exercise equipment and standing desks in your office, or provide wellness benefits such as gym memberships to encourage your team to exercise outside working hours as well. Sharing links or apps for breathing exercises or mindfulness practices can help employees to better manage their stress levels.

Related: 5 Steps to Creating a Workplace Focused on Mental Wellness

4. Keep mental health in mind

One of the words that’s most commonly used when someone is struggling with their mental health is “stress.” Mental health is innately tied to physical health, and just like treating your body right can help your brain, negative emotions can seriously affect your body. Reducing stress, burnout, depression and other mental health challenges is complex, but there are a few things you can do.

First, ensure you’re getting enough sunlight. Not only does vitamin D improve your mood, but the light itself plays a major role. Working in an office without much sunlight can be draining, but if you can’t manage to arrange your office so everyone has access to sunlight, consider allowing at least part-time remote work.

Related: The Truth About Loneliness During the Holidays and 5 Tips For Coping

Burnout is another factor that affects many people’s mental health, and there has been an epidemic of it lately. Watch carefully for burnout in yourself and your employees, and when you identify it, take steps to improve the situation that’s causing it. Have managers include this discussion during their regular one-on-one meetings. Create a culture of support around burnout and other challenges people might be facing, such as family matters and health challenges, which can contribute to burnout significantly. There are many resources to help address burnout, as it’s a complex issue. Remember to prioritize your employees as people rather than workers. If you’ve hired well, your team wants to do a good job. If they’re struggling, there’s likely a reason for it. Ask for and listen to feedback, even if it’s not what you want to hear. Work and work-related activities take up a majority of a person’s waking hours, so the environment you provide plays a major role in an employee’s quality of life.

I highly recommend offering some kind of mental health benefits, even telehealth options. This might look like paying for counseling for those who need it. Or try allowing mental health days. We’ve changed our sick leave policy to include a mental health day, not just a physical sickness day. Just knowing they have the option to take a day off if needed is likely to be enough for most employees, and you likely won’t experience a significant cost as a result.

To keep a happy, healthy and productive workforce, the most important thing you can do is to create a positive workplace culture. A negative or toxic culture can easily wear on anyone, causing problems both at work and at home. With these steps, you’ll be on your way to improving the health of your entire team and creating a stronger and more sustainable work culture.

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Jason Hennessey

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December 29, 2022
Tele-Mental Health in the Workplace is Crucial to Employee Morale and Productivity. Here’s Why
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Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
How can leaders keep their organization or business functioning through these unprecedented times? By understanding and prioritizing mental well-being.

With the world lurching endlessly between global health and economic crises, conditions have never been more challenging for employers or employees. In the context of record workforce and resource shortages, a drive for sustainability challenges businesses to consider implementing innovations like virtual mental health care in the workplace.

The state of mental health in the U.S.

In 2020, as society grappled with the new normal, the nation’s mental health was anything but ordinary.

During this time, the number of adults reporting anxiety or depressive symptoms quadrupled. This was more than a mere spike — the Mental Health Index (MHI) reported a 71% increase in the risk for depression in workers through 2021, and stress, anxiety, and depression have only recently returned to pre-2020 levels.

Research has shown that long-term disasters place society at risk for increased stress, anger, anxiety, depression, and substance misuse. This is partly due to financial insecurity, a loss of confidence in authorities, and disruption to everyday life.

Studies of earlier disasters have shown that increases in mental health service provision may have helped avoid future mental health problems. However, less than half of individuals with mental illness received inpatient mental health services or prescription psychiatric medication in 2020. In addition, communities of color that typically experience difficulty accessing mental health services were disproportionately affected, deepening pre-existing fault lines of health inequity.

Related: 4 Ways to Help Employees With Their Mental Health and Emotional Needs as You Reopen Offices

Employers taking the lead

If any silver lining can be taken from the disruption and trauma experienced, it is the normalization of mental health and employers’ recognition of its importance.

Major companies are acknowledging the responsibility to their workers. For example, sports giants Nike, Bumble, Hootsuite and LinkedIn have introduced access to digital resources, virtual counseling services, and even paid time off for mental health. Smaller companies are following suit. After 2020, 39% of companies expanded their mental health providers to meet the evolving needs of their employees.

But why should the employer take the lead? The answer is two-fold.

As the mental health of the population and workforce declined, employment and productivity declined too. According to the Peterson Institution for International Economics, productivity is falling at the fastest rate on record. Simultaneously, the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) shows that the numbers of people quitting their jobs remain above pre-pandemic levels, with a high turnover in lower-wage sectors.

While the fiscal impact of poor mental health on employers and employees is well documented, there’s more to this issue than balance sheets and stock prices.

Employers are expanding benefits to include tele-mental health because it’s the right thing to do. The longstanding false dichotomy between physical and mental health needs to be challenged, and employers can do this by offering integrated healthcare. As Dr. Hilary Grant, Medical Director for Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust, notes, “Mental ill health precipitates, perpetuates, maintains and exacerbates acute and chronic physical health problems.” Offering physical cover alone is like pouring water into a bucket with a hole in the bottom and wondering why it never seems to fill.

An ongoing need for mental health service provision

Though one global challenge is over, others have only begun. According to MHI statistics from February – May 2022, macroeconomic trends and the war in Ukraine have led to a 12% increase in stress levels, a 23% jump in general anxiety, and a 53% increase in the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Researchers examining the impact of the global health crisis on society concluded that the frequency of mental health symptoms made access to mental health services, such as telehealth, critical. Though the challenges are different, the need remains unchanged.

Related: How to Protect Your Team’s Mental Health

Modern solutions for modern times

As the global health crisis kept people at home, consumers demanded more convenience across all sectors, healthcare included. As a result, healthcare organizations worldwide were driven to treat people where they were, delivering care in out-of-hospital settings.

Technology-driven, remote solutions like telemedicine have become part of the architecture of contemporary healthcare. Though the necessity of staying home has passed, virtual care remains relevant as consumers have embraced the flexibility.

Beyond convenience, virtual solutions underpin equitable access in isolated or marginalized communities, where stigma or a shortage of mental health professionals might otherwise be a barrier.

The rapidly growing field of tele-mental health

In the growing telemedicine sector, mental health has taken the lead, accounting for 53% of all consultations in the US between 2005 and 2017. However, mental health services in the US face two significant challenges; a lack of capacity and inequitable geographical distribution.

Using consumer-grade electronics, tele-mental health is a low-tech answer to both. Multiple studies have shown that clients and providers are satisfied with the transition to virtual consultations. Advantages include:
- Allowing people to be seen in their homes or workplace rather than in an unfamiliar clinical setting.
- Avoiding the inconveniences of scheduling.
- Waiting.
- Other personal stumbling blocks, such as arranging transport or a babysitter.
Tele-mental health holds many advantages for businesses, too. Accessible support boosts efficiency by reducing absenteeism and presenteeism, the latter being estimated to cost the United States economy $150 billion per year. As a low-cost option, telemedicine helps employees to avoid co-payments and deductibles, removing financial barriers to medical care and resulting in a healthier workforce.

In these trying times, many will experience varying levels of mental health and mental illness that affect how they think, feel, and act and their interactions, problem-solving, and decision-making. Whether employees have reported or been diagnosed with mental illness, employers must provide mental health access for all workers and, in turn, their businesses.

Related: Healthcare For The Masses: Why Tele-Health Is A Game Changer For The Middle East
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Larry Jones

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October 14, 2022