How to talk about mental health at work

Today (Monday 10th October) is World Mental Health day – an international campaign to raise awareness of mental health issues worldwide. 

Workplaces can have a significant impact on mental health and in turn affect how people perform at their jobs. According to the Mental Health Foundation, 1 in 6.8 people experience mental health problems in the workplace. 

The pandemic taught us that people aren’t simply ‘mentally healthy’ or ‘mentally ill’ and there is a wide spectrum. Where people fall on that varies day to day and anyone can be susceptible.

The theme for this year’s World Mental Health Day ‘Make mental health and wellbeing for all a global priority”, so with that in mind we have put together some tips for your business to help employees take care of their mental wellbeing while helping them feel connected to their work.

1. Create mental health standards in your workplace

Creating a plan for your organisation will help create a positive work culture where employees will be confident to talk about mental health at work. This could include how you will support staff, as well as signposting people to information. At Business West, staff members can subscribe for free to Headspace, a meditation app which guides you through mindfulness exercises.

It’s also important to talk to your staff as this will give you an idea of what they need and will help them feel involved in the conversation. This guide from Mind will give you some ideas about how you can implement a plan in your organisation. 

2. Check in with your staff

Having short conversations with colleagues about how they’re getting on can encourage people to share their feelings and help them to feel connected to others. Managers must have the right skills to be able to respond compassionately to people suffering from poor mental health. Business West Chamber Member, The Sound Doctor, develops workplace wellbeing programs, including courses which coach Managers on how to notice when people are struggling and effectively respond. At Business West, all line managers have undertaken mental health training, to help them to recognise the signs and symptoms.

3. Organise wellness activities with employees

Organising wellness days shows your staff that you acknowledge mental health issues are common and that work-life balance is important. You could organise a day of paddle boarding or a staff day with games. Research shows that being physically active and learning new skills can help promote Learn more about this here. 

4. Make it easy for people to reach out and get support

Make clear guidelines about how people can reach out and be supported. Employees may want to speak to someone outside of their team. Being able to access this support can help catch problems early on before they spiral into something more serious. At Business West, we have a team of Mental Health First Aiders which offer anonymous support to colleagues who are struggling. Business West, through BHSF, also offers a free counselling service which all staff have access to if you need to talk but don’t feel comfortable talking to colleagues. 

How to create a strong workforce through wellbeing support

56% of employers said they would like to do more to improve staff wellbeing, but don’t think they have the right training or guidance.

A strong and healthy workplace is one where both employers and employees contribute to improving their working environment by educating those around them and promoting and protecting the health and well-being of everyone involved. 

Your workplace well-being plan should go over prevention, early diagnosis, and symptoms, and also provide support to those who need it. The stigma surrounding mental health is slowly diminishing, and it will only improve as businesses begin to do more, and employers begin to recognise the power a simple conversation can have. The more open we begin to be with one another, the more we can look towards a positive future.