Doing What It Takes to Support Your Employees' Mental Wellbeing

By Hannah Whitesides, Retreat Leader & Fear Management Specialist for our Company Virtual Retreats

Just like most things in life, mental health is something that takes work. You can’t just push it aside and hope for the best because not only will it not get better; it will get worse. The world is starting to realize that just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it isn’t extremely detrimental to the overall happiness of our society. We spend most of our day working, whether it be in an office or at home. This means that mental health practices need to be at the forefront of companies. So how do we cater to something that we can’t see and that’s experienced differently by each and every one of us? To put it simply, leadership needs to outwardly acknowledge it, normalize it, and be dedicated to fixing it. 

1) Outwardly acknowledge it.

Be open with your team about mental health and its seriousness. Make sure they know you care and want to help in any way you can. It is not about always having the right answers, but it is about creating a space of listening and being present in their experiences. By listening, you are helping team members know you see them beyond human capital, and you recognize their humanity. They will appreciate you for it. You may feel like you do not have the time to talk about things outside of work, however you have to remember that without the full focused mind of these team members, your outcomes will suffer. Schedule some time out of each of your weeks to check in with team members (about things outside of work), even if it starts off briefly.

2) Normalize it. 

Credit: Sinitta Leunen on Unsplash

I am the fear specialist for Project Passport. During our retreats, we tackle the feeling of isolation. Many times in work environments, employees suffer from the same types of fears but don’t vocalize them. Some of the most common workplace fears are failure, change, and speaking up. By outwardly discussing mental health with your employees, you will help them feel comfortable opening up and leaning on their co-workers for support and validation. Mental health stigma cannot succeed in the workplace if your team is able to talk about it and take the power from the fear of the discussion into their own hands.

Teams should agree upon guidelines in having the conversation to ensure everyone is showing high levels of respect and understand the importance of confidentiality. If you allow the team to place the guidelines to set the space, they will, in turn, feel safer in sharing their truths. Make room for team conversations about mental health as often as possible. Once a month is a great start even if it is just for 30 minutes. Your team will thank you for it in the long run.

3) Be dedicated to fixing it. 

The only way you can truly help your employees mentally is by doing. You have to take actionable steps in order to see a result. One thing that has become very popular is the Calm app. Its purpose is to help people with meditation and sleep. While this is useful, not everyone handles stress and anxiety the same way. As I said in the beginning, mental health is experienced differently by each and every one of us. Think of it as being similar to the different learning styles (visual, auditory, and kinesthetic). If you want results, you have to cater to everyone. This means being diverse in the wellness programs you implement. An app alone will not save your team, and you should see it as a starting point to an ongoing journey of team wellness. 

Be sure team members are aware of their resources and options provided by your company, whether it be in-house counselors or EAP services. Many employees are unaware of what they have access to through their company benefits and insurance. It does not hurt to remind them of the options they have and how you support their use of the services. Unfortunately, team members often feel uncomfortable accessing company wellness services therefore, it is important you encourage them how positive it is for them to use the services. You have to cheer them on! Continue to follow up with them about their needs and check in often on the helpfulness of the resources you have provided them. It is almost certain you will need to adjust them to better serve your team because mental health evolves and changes.

3.1) Be dedicated to fixing it through Project Passport

At Project Passport, we offer an immersive retreat experience with everything from yoga & tai chi to interactive, hands-on activities that participants can immediately apply to their work and personal lives for a positive change. We cover topics such as stress management, productivity, purpose in work, team building, fear, creativity, and so much more. We believe that wellness and support starts face-to-face, which is something an app can’t provide. We cannot just put a bandaid over the big wounds team members are facing, especially in this pandemic. You have to be willing to take the wellbeing of your team to the next level by any means necessary if you want to create the collective success you seek.

Virtual Retreat with Project Passport company retreat client

Whether or not you choose to retreat with us, mental health support for your team is crucial in the success of your company. Happier employees work harder, contribute more, and produce greater results. The data has been produced time and time again. Will you answer the call to action for your team’s mental health?

Credit main thumbnail photo: Elijah Hiett on Unplash

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Project Passport is currently a proactive mental wellness company that aims to bring wellness retreats, workshops and other services to company teams and also help women create joy in their lives every step of the way. To learn more about our company retreats and services, click here. To learn more about our tribe community for women, click here. Our travel retreats will resume in the future as the world reopens.