We need to take a break

Do you know that 1 out of every 6 employees experience a mental challenge at the workplace? More saddening is the fact that 82% of workers with a diagnosed mental illness do not inform their workplace managers about their condition. The common reasons are fearing the negative impact on their career, being embarrassed, and even losing their job. (Sangar, 2019).

Last week was world's mental health day and this month is dedicated to acknowledging the importance of paying attention to our mental health. This year's theme- Mental health at work is pivotal and timely as an average cooperate worker spends at least 25% of their time at work, this is excluding unique industries and roles like Finance, Sales, Investment banking , Healthcare workers and other unique professions.

These days, 9-5 isn't really 9-5, is it?

There are a thousand articles on google about how to manage mental health, and I am sure you have probably organised or attended a seminar on mental health awareness at least once in the last two years, but can we start walking the talk?

As founders, and managers, here a few actionable things you can do to enhance your employees' mental well-being.

• Take a break: I have previously worked with founders that find it bizzare to go on leave. Guess what? If you do not go on leave, your direct reports might not find the boldness to take a break. If we want to your staff to rest, take the lead by getting some rest .
• Implement actionable policies: One of the most exciting policies I have implemented in my career is Compassionate leave. The opportunity to take a break when you want to without waiting till annual leave is a sign that you care about your team's mental health and wellness.
• Engage in a joint activity: Happy hour are cliche but they are designed to make you happy. If you work in a remote first (or hybrid) environment, engage in joint relaxing activities; have an hour every week or fornightly to discuss and engage in conversations that isn't work-related, you'd be surprised about h
• Encourage Physical Activities :Organize fitness programs like yoga, meditation, or group exercises to promote relaxation and physical well-being. A physically sound mind often leads to productivity. You can also encourage an ergonomic friendly environment, joint exercises and lots more. You can also do different joint fitness exercises, leveraging platforms and apps that enables this collaborations.
• Build a Positive Work Culture: Recognize and reward employee efforts and contributions to foster a sense of belonging and achievement. It is important that people do good work, people get recognised for doing this great work and get rewarded for it.

There are a hundred other things that can be done, but the real question is, what are we going to do?

Happy Mental Health day, week, and month.

Remember, Mental health is just as important as… physical health and deserves the same quality of support