Company initiatives designed to improve or maintain physical health (e.g., exercise classes, fitness centers, health screenings, and vaccinations) have been widely established over the past decades, while mental health programs remained shrouded in stigma. Thankfully, that is changing.
The anxiety and stress associated with the COVID pandemic brought to light long-simmering issues surrounding employee stress, depression, anxiety, and job burnout. Most companies now recognize that mental health is just as important as physical health, and providing confidential, discreet mental health services to employees demonstrates sincere care about their complete well-being.
Many of today’s progressive workplaces encourage employees to participate in company-sponsored mental health programs. That movement is to the benefit of both the worker and the organization. When mental health issues are addressed, workers are more likely to be engaged and productive at work and less likely to need time off. Companies with a reputation for offering these benefits may also be more attractive to talent and have improved retention.
If your company is interested in providing mental health wellness programs for employees but is unsure where to start, here are some proven ideas to launch with:
1) Offer Meditation classes. Meditation, practiced in many forms for thousands of years, has been scientifically proven to relieve stress, improve mental outlook, and promote whole body wellness. Yet meditation can be intimidating to many people, and it may be difficult to know how to begin. Companies can engage employees in this ancient healing practice by hiring an accredited meditation instructor and offering classes.
2) Provide confidential, one-on-one psychological counseling. Individual counseling services provided by a licensed therapist or psychologist is an investment that will offer returns many times over through happier and more productive employees. Consider holding a team wide meeting to introduce the psychologist or therapist, and be sure to announce how to access the services confidentially.
3) Offer group counseling or workshops. It is always comforting to realize that other people are dealing with the same problems as you are. A group setting reinforces this comfort zone and encourages people to listen to and help each other. The group facilitator could be an outside specialist or someone within the company.
4) Provide confidential substance abuse counseling. Some people cope with their problems by abusing alcohol or drugs. Recognize the possibility that some of your employees may be battling substance abuse issues and provide free and confidential access to the professional help they need.
5) Open and maintain a mindfulness or meditation room within the company campus. A quiet, relaxing, and comfortable place to take a break for a few minutes can do much to restore and reenergize employees. An appropriate quiet space can be created with comfortable cushions or chairs, soft lighting, relaxing music, and nature-inspired elements. It does not take much, and the benefits are great. Do make sure you integrate a simple set of agreed-upon policies.
6) Sponsor a company yoga day. Yoga has known benefits for mental well-being by combining mindfulness and physical activity into one stress-reducing practice. As with meditation, many people can be intimidated by the practice of yoga, assuming they need the flexibility of a gymnast to derive any benefits. A company yoga day, held during the work day so everyone can participate, can dispel such notions.
Companies that address mental health issues and offer programs to promote mental wellness are at the forefront of today’s progressive and successful business cultures. And isn’t this the kind of company you want to grow?
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Our popular blog post “11 Ways to Make Your Company a Best Place to Work” provides succinct tips for leaders interested in building a dynamic and successful business culture. If you are intrigued or inspired by these ideas, we encourage you to schedule a meeting to discuss how we can work together to build an exciting and winning team at your company. We provide services for individual leaders and teams to reach their full potential.
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