A blueprint for building mental health into workplace wellness programs
Mental health has become priority one for employers as new research reveals the negative effects of stress on productivity and turnover. It makes sense that employees who are stuck in survival mode, according to Maslow, won’t be able to self-actualize and perform to their potential.
It’s important for the architects of any wellbeing program to understand the structure of an effective mental health approach. Here are the building blocks that make up an ideal mental health wellness program.
Assess current population stressors
The best way to build an effective mental health wellness program is to first determine what stressors most affect your population. We’re finding more and more that things like sleep deprivation and overworking are ailments that negatively impact some employees’ ability to perform higher mental functions.
It’s simple enough to implement online surveys and other assessment tools to learn what topics you need to address with your unique population, but more specific aggregate data may require the help of an outside expert to gather and refine.
Address cultural and environmental contributors
If your findings indicate general work stress is an issue, turn a critical eye to the physical environment you’re providing. Many employers today are thinking outside the cubicle to provide a more relaxing environment that doesn’t feel so institutionalized. On a large scale, entire buildings are being designed with lots of windows and open space to let in the sunshine. Smaller-scale environmental improvements that help improve morale and mental health include indoor plants, flexible meeting spaces, and the encouragement to take frequent movement breaks throughout the day.
Create an assessment plan
Any wellness program requires multi-layered benchmarking to determine its efficacy and adjust as needed. Determine at what frequency you’ll check in on your employees’ mental health and commit to changing your approach based on their feedback.
Every employer can combine existing data and real employee input to craft a corporate wellness program that promotes improved morale and mental health. It takes careful planning, attention to culture and environment, and continuous quality improvement to design a workplace wellbeing program that’s engaging and effective.
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