Practical Strategies to Create a Mentally Healthy Work Culture

Practical Strategies – As per the World Health Organisation, mental health refers to reaching your potential in coping with the everyday stresses of life and also contributing to the communities we live in. With this in mind, it’s important to keep in mind that mental health concerns everybody, not only those suffering, and having a healthy mental culture is the responsibility of everyone.

Practical Strategies to Create a Mentally Healthy Work Culture:

How do we start? And who has the responsibility to build this kind of culture? For leaders to be successful, it’s essential to open the discussion and work with our team members so that the culture becomes everyone’s obligation. However, permission must be granted from the highest levels.

1. Building Trust and Psychological Safety:

This is about having the confidence to be able to share risks with others discussing issues without fear of consequences and admitting mistakes in the hope of coming up with innovative solutions. The foundation of trust is made in small steps, not only through large gestures. It’s about how we behave as well as our communication style. Willingness to admit our own mistakes as leaders modeling this way of thinking is the most effective method to establish trust.

2. Autonomy and Flexibility:

Our employees thrive when they’re trusted as adults to utilize their skills and communicate energetically and not be manipulated. Discussion of how we work and not just what we do helps us understand the way people function in different ways to help them realize their full potential. It is not often that working at a desk for more than 8-10 hours per day is going to result in consistently high performance. Instead, we need breaks to recharge our minds and creativity to improve the quality of our lives.

3. Empower and listen to your solutions:

Sometimes we think we’re hearing but when we stop to reflect, we’re in a hurry and waiting to speak to get things moving. This isn’t what’s necessary to create mentally healthy societies. Disconnecting from our gadgets and distractions and focusing our complete attention on a person can be empowering even for a few minutes. If we realize that when it comes to people, our task isn’t to correct them nor give advice to them, it’s to listen as well as ask them questions to help them find individuals to come up with their solutions, then we can release our anxiety to discuss the real issues and instead make connections. Dr. Brene Brown speaks about how people must be seen appreciated, valued, and respected for better wellbeing So, start with that and be ready to acknowledge that you’re not sure.

4. Put your money into yourself:

The most effective way to promote an emotionally healthy society is to lead by example. What can you do to take care of yourself? How do you present yourself and are you open to linking the dots of your wellbeing and performance? If, for instance, I’m faced with a difficult deadline or project, I’ll discuss the steps I’m taking to warrant that I succeed, such as getting an early bed, talking to a therapist, or eating delicious food. Sometimes, I’ll openly discuss the times I’ve made a mistake and what I’m doing wrong to be my excellent self. If we are living these ideas, we can engage with others by asking what they are doing to be a better person.

A mentally healthy society requires both collective and individual responsibility. It means that people must be accountable for the way they spend their time as well as take advantage of the benefits that are available or talk to their supervisor when something is occurring that might hinder their ability to concentrate. But, it’s equally important to have an organizational accountability that goes beyond the tick-boxes and is integral to the main goals of the company.

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This involves discussing the subject on an executive basis. They also put resources into developing an effective wellness and mental health plan that is in line with the fundamental goals of the company and acknowledges the impact of poor mental health on the bottom line due to inefficiency, absence, and the loss of top talent.

The workplace is evolving, and with Gen Z soon to make 27 percent of the workforce by 2025 (Deloitte) What our employees are seeking in their workplaces is going to continue to evolve. Focusing on the purpose, values, and efficiency have to be at the forefront in rapid technological advancement which means rethinking our culture of meeting and the way we’ve always conducted things is essential to make sure our businesses are relevant to the new world.