Improve Mental Well-Being In Your Workplace With These 3 Steps

According to the Mental Health Commission of Canada 50 billion dollars of productivity is lost each year due to unaddressed mental health issues in the workplace. Depression, for example, is the fastest growing disability cost to Canadian employers. With this kind of financial impact being registered it’s understandable the topic of mental well-being in the workplace is becoming a relevant conversation for employers.

The good news is that there are solutions. Steps companies can take to begin to improve the wellness of their organization and their people - to help save costs and lives.

There was a time long ago when the topic of happiness would have been considered a fluffy conversation however scientific research is proving otherwise - showing there is a measurable return on happiness.

Step #1 Increase awareness

Begin by creating a safe dialogue within your organization around the topic of mental health. By starting the conversation you will begin to create a supportive, compassionate environment. Mental Health is not a very popular topic nor has it been given the attention it deserves. However things are changing as organizations start to realize that mental health is becoming a serious business issue. Anxiety is high when knowledge is low so help break the silence, stigma, and fear by starting a safe conversation around the topic.

Step #2 Increase accessibility

You’ve started the conversation so now what? This is the step that holds back many organizations from starting the conversation in the first place.  Many fear they don’t have the resources or knowledge to support their employees, but it doesn’t have to feel so overwhelming. There are many trained professionals and organizations a company can turn to for answers and solutions. The key to success at this point is to reach out and utilize the resources of the experts to improve the wellness of the organization. Partnering and collaboration will help you meet your needs.

Step #3 Create a positive ripple effect

This is the call to action stage. More positive people will influence more people to become positive. Identify and support positive people in your organization - According to Shawn Achor, author of The Happiness Advantage, they are referred to as Positive Outliers. Positive Outliers believe that what they think and what they do matters. Which means that not only are these employees productive, they are happy too. By building more Positive Outliers within your organization you will spark positive change. The more positive people begin to influence the people around them to become positive too. And by extension, more engaged, and productive.

The prediction is that by the year 2025 mental health issues will be the #1 workplace challenge, globally. What is your organization doing today to potentially change this outcome?

This has been a guest blog post from Karen Judge on behalf of the Happiness Matters… For Business campaign.

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Tagged as: hapiness for business, karen judge, mental health