5 Tips for Raising Mental Health Awareness at Work

How much time do you spend at work each day? It’s likely that you spend more time at your job than anywhere else, so it makes sense to try to make your workplace as healthy and positive as possible. One great way to start raising mental health awareness at work is by having an open conversation about mental health and how it can affect employees in different ways, encouraging them to seek the help they need when their mental health becomes compromised. Implementing these five tips will help start the conversation about mental health and its place in the workplace

1 How many people suffer from poor mental health?

Anxiety disorders are one of the most common mental health problems in both children and adults. An estimated 19% of children aged 9 to 17 have an anxiety disorder, as do 24% of young adults aged 18 to 25. Anxiety disorders are also quite common among older people, with almost 9% of older Americans experiencing anxiety disorders in a given year.

(1) What’s more, 3 out of every 5 women will experience a mental health disorder in their lifetime, with depression being one of those conditions.(2) With so many struggling with mental health issues on a daily basis, it is imperative that we all raise mental health awareness in our workplaces, amongst friends and family members alike.

The first step to raising mental wellness is recognizing when help is needed: Before taking actionable steps towards improving your mental well-being, you should identify what areas you would like to focus on first. Do you struggle with worrying too much? Do you find yourself wishing that you could just relax?

2 What are the symptoms of poor mental health?

Mental health issues aren’t as obvious as a broken leg. So, how can you tell if someone is struggling with their mental health? Usually people try to hide these symptoms because they don’t want to talk about it. Also, many people who are suffering from mental health issues don’t recognize them. Some of the signs that someone may be dealing with mental health issues are: sleep problems, substance abuse, eating disorders and antisocial behavior. Here are some other warning signs: isolating yourself from others; anxiousness; aggressive behavior and self-harm.

3 How can we raise better awareness in our workplace?

Mental health awareness is a growing issue in our workplace. Many studies reveal that over 70% of workers struggle with depression or anxiety, with some even reporting having attempted suicide. Some organizations have set up in-house clinics and support groups, but your colleagues may not know how to speak up about their problems. When it comes to being proactive about mental health, it’s important to implement employee programs that are realistic and effective. Here are five ways you can improve mental health awareness in your workplace.

• 1) Set an example as a leader: If you want other leaders in your organization to be more active about mental health awareness, then show them what it looks like by speaking up.
• 2) Encourage peer-to-peer help: Employees who feel comfortable talking about mental health issues find it easier to network among themselves. Make use of blogs and social media networks so employees can raise their concerns and find solutions.
• 3) Get HR involved: You should always let Human Resources (HR) know if you discover someone struggling with mental illness. They will understand where to go from there, allowing them to make efforts towards improving mental health awareness within your company.
• 4) Don’t assume every problem is related to mental health: We’ve all been guilty of misinterpreting people at work before, making us wish we knew how to better recognize when something is truly wrong.
• 5) Educate yourself on mental illness: Mental health awareness campaigns can do wonders—but they aren’t necessary. Know when to take action and start treating mental health issues as you would any other ailment, including heart disease or diabetes.

4 Make time for everyone

Ensuring that mental health awareness is a priority in your workplace can not only increase productivity, but it can make a massive impact on employee morale and satisfaction. Discussing mental health openly, setting aside time to care for one another, and ensuring that no one falls through the cracks are all great ways to start raising mental health awareness in your workplace.

If everyone takes an active role—and makes time for everyone—it’s much easier to create a culture of compassion and understanding when it comes to mental health. By creating a space where issues can be addressed, you raise mental health awareness every day. You’ll help improve workers’ feelings about their employers. That’s priceless!

5 Promote using positive language

You can raise mental health awareness at work in a variety of ways, but one of your most effective tools is your own words. When you hear yourself using negative or stigmatizing language when talking about mental health, it’s time to make an active effort to change your language. Try replacing terms like crazy with weird, unusual, eccentric and unique. If someone doesn’t look too good that day, say they look a little under the weather instead of making fun of them by saying they look like crap.