Mental Health Initiatives: How HR Professionals Can Drive Positive Change in the Workplaces

According to Parliament, 18% of children between 7 and 16 years old showed signs of a mental health disorder last year. Over a quarter of those between 17 and 19 showed signs of mental illness.

These statistics are frightening, and they're getting worse. These numbers are much higher than they were a generation ago in 1993.

The upside is that everybody can help in some small way. Pushing for positive change in the workplace can provide mental health treatment to those who otherwise might not have it.

Those working in HR might be in the best position to help. We'll discuss what they can do here.

Promote office attendance

Most of us remember that there was panic during the COVID-19 outbreak. One such worry was that the large number of people working from home wouldn't go back to the office when it ended.

It turns out that they were wrong. Working from home was convenient, but it took a toll on us. Being isolated for extended periods can cause symptoms of depression, anxiety, panic disorder, substance use disorder, and more.

The HR department can help by fostering a workplace culture that emphasises social interaction and cooperation. This can take the form of group projects, exercise classes or intra-office sporting events. Those are only a few possibilities.

Keep an eye on your co-workers

A big part of maintaining a good relationship between employers and employees is listening to your co-workers. Ask them if they're struggling with anything, and how the company can make things easier for them. You should get some helpful answers.

Keep in mind that talking to them about mental health will be harder than discussing other issues. Unlike salaries, work hours, and other issues HR deals with, mental health is personal.

Mental health issues disrupt a person's work, but they don't stop when that person clocks out for the day. You have to respect this to make any sort of progress.

The best advice we can offer is to be vague. Don't ask about anything specific. Instead, ask if anything is affecting their mental health and if there's anything the company can do to fix it.

Keep workloads manageable and predictable

A significant percentage of British workers complain about feeling overworked. Surveys disagree about the exact rate, but most say it's roughly 30-50%.

Employers should try to keep their employees' workloads reasonable. This keeps your workers from getting too stressed. The HR department can keep the bosses informed about stress levels in the work environment.

Scheduling sports and physical activity breaks up the work and gives people a chance to escape for a while. Scheduling a regular break gives co-workers something concrete to look forward to. Sometimes, having a predictable break makes it easier to be productive in the meantime.

Increase access to wellbeing resources

The biggest issue facing mental health is the difficulty in getting treatment. This is a nationwide issue, but that doesn't mean there's nothing you can do.

Promoting well-being talks in the workplace, or bringing in a counsellor so employees can talk to someone during lunch breaks or slow work days. This comes with the added benefit of a doctor/patient relationship. The fact that counsellors can't reveal things their clients have said unless someone is in danger should put employees at ease. This could lead to better mental health among the staff and more suggestions for improving the work environment.

Improved insurance coverage goes a long way toward helping employees with all aspects of their health. Unfortunately, most insurance policies issued to a company's employees don't cover mental healthcare. Increased mental health coverage could attract skilled employees who otherwise wouldn't have applied.

Team Building

Sports and other physical activities give businesses a chance to foster cooperation and camaraderie among their employees. The more your team works together, the better they'll get at it. You might notice results in and out of the office.

Better teamwork can lead to higher efficiency and more work being done. This might allow you to cut down on workloads. Many things could happen, but the overall result will likely be positive.

Being an effective team means learning to get along with each other. In this way, physical activity can improve relationships and cut down on office politics. Over a quarter of all workplace stress comes from poor interpersonal relationships.

Yoga

While yoga counts as a physical activity, it's a very different kind of activity. Most sports and games focus on competition, puzzle-solving, speed, and other high-pressure activities.

Yoga is almost the opposite. It's not about doing the best, but doing your best. Yoga focuses on peace and relaxation.

Yoga improves your health in many ways. It makes breathing easier, increases flexibility and posture, and reduces stress. It also strengthens your immune system, so you're less likely to get sick. Keeping your workers happy and healthy makes them want to do the same.

Find out about SPORTSESSION yoga here.

Mental Health and Positive Change at Work.

Many parts of the world are dealing with a mental health epidemic. Rates of mental illness are rising. Various mental health professionals have warned that current resources aren't adequate to deal with it.

Everybody can do their part to improve the situation. Implementing mental health programmes and athletics in the workplace helps create positive change.

Looking to provide wellbeing initiatives for your employees to increase workplace health, productivity and culture? Explore SPORTSESSION here.