5 Workspace Tips for Better Mental Health
Post the pandemic, people are heading back to office, leaving their work from status and are coming to terms with certain changes in their workplaces. One of the most important changes which has been overlooked for decades is now being seriously taken into consideration, i.e. the focus on each employee’s physical as well as mental health. Today, employers know that to retain their employees or recruit new ones, they must treat them as humans first, humans with complex feelings and emotions. The employers should note that healthy and happy employees are known to be more productive and engaged in their jobs. Hence, companies that incorporate mental health wellness into their work culture can work upon and lead to a more productive work environment.
Therefore, let’s discuss some ways that can help us incorporate mental health wellness into our workplaces.
WORKSPACE TIPS FOR BETTER MENTAL HEALTH
Incorporating Nature:
Biophilic design is one of the most popular trends in office space designs today. It’s basically a concept to increase the occupant’s connectivity to the natural environment through direct nature or indirect access to nature, space and place conditions. In order to build a happy workplace, the employees must receive access to direct or indirect nature in office. It can be achieved by introducing plants, wooden and natural materials, aquariums, fishes and the presence of natural light. Such designs help in reducing stress, increase concentration and focus, improve creativity and problem-solving abilities and contribute directly to the employee retention level.
Natural Light:
Natural light plays an important role in reducing anxiety, stress, and depression. Many offices today are bringing in changes such as open floor plans since it is known to increase natural light throughout the office. Previously the office buildings were not built in such a way that natural light was needed by the employees. But today most offices are adapting changes in their spaces by implementing ways like circadian lighting that mimics the changing composition of light all throughout the day. This is said to improve mood, concentration, and sleep quality.
Community:
The most important aspect of any workplace is the office culture. Most businesses are built on the basis of the office culture. With the global pandemic most employees have to work from home and the concept of office culture is no longer existent, but now they are making changes to resume normal offices and bring back the work culture for their employees. Community ensures your employee to feel productive, interact with other people working in the same organization which are all considered to be good for mental health. When you are in a collaborative office environment, it will yield more productivity as the employees will feel as if they belong to this organization with a healthier environment.
Affordable mental health care benefits:
Look for a healthcare practitioner who can provide mental health services to your employees and is affordable. The employees can seek help from them through consultations and counseling inside the office premises itself. Your human resources department will provide your employees with a mental health roadmap which connects your employees to the appropriate mental health providers or wellness centers. By offering mental health paid leaves, the employees would be encouraged and not ashamed to get such support to take care of their mental health.
Reduce the stigma at the office:
It is of utmost importance to reduce the stigma about mental health in and around the office, so that your employees can open up and improve themselves. By reducing the negative approach and addressing one’s mental health, you can establish a more honest and conducive workplace. Talk to your employees about mental health struggles, implement an employee assistance programme which includes a counseling program to assist employees with handling problems that might affect their work, has wellness-related amenities like wellness rooms, and implement sensitivity training for all the managers to train them on how to identify and address their mental health issues and also their colleagues
Having an open communication is of utmost importance to support your employees’ mental health. Make sure to discuss actively about mental health, be it a seminar or a storytelling campaign or simply an email communication or a work-wide mental health day/week, the more you talk about it and work to better your employees condition the more productive your employees will be.
Also, read our article on: “Best things to keep in mind while buying an office space In Navi Mumbai”