10 things organisations can do to promote a balanced psychological wellbeing
Yes, granted some of the factors mentioned above may not originate from the workplace but it is important that employers or businesses have sufficient support in place to make employees feel at home at work.
Here are 10 things employers can do to establish a workplace environment that promotes psychological wellbeing:
- Be aware of potential toxic behaviours of employees (managers, team leaders, directors).
The worse thing that can happen to an employee is to finish work and have trouble sleeping because of the actions, managerial style or behaviour of another employee no matter their status in the organisation. This is one of the most unspoken of issues in the workplace and many suffer in silence because they want to keep their jobs. Human Resources goes beyond recruitment, it’s more about looking after your people’s wellbeing. - Promote a healthy work-life balance. One of the most important things an organisation can do to promote psychological wellbeing is to encourage a healthy work-life balance. This means creating an environment where employees feel supported to speak freely, take time off when needed and are not expected to work excessive hours. A happy employee brings multiple rewards.
- Provide access to mental health support
If an employee is struggling with their mental health, it is important that they have access to support. This could include things like employee assistance programmes or access to a mental health professional. Have information available and if resources allow, have a specialist in-house to offer regular support. - Encourage healthy lifestyle choices
Promoting healthy lifestyle choices is another way to promote Psychological wellbeing. This could include things like providing healthy food options in the workplace, encouraging employees to exercise, take time away from their desks and offering smoking or vaping cessation programmes. - Promote open communication
Open communication is essential for promoting Psychological wellbeing. Encouraging employees to share how they are feeling and creating an environment where they feel comfortable to do so can help to prevent problems from getting worse. - Address stigmas to mental or emotional health.
Providing employees with training on Psychological wellbeing can help to remove stigmas, raise awareness and understanding of these common issues. This could include things like workshops on stress management, information sessions on mental health disorders and encouraging family values. - Promote a culture of respect
Creating a culture of respect is another important way to promote Psychological wellbeing. This means ensuring that employees feel valued and respected, and that their opinions are heard. - Encourage social activities
Organising social activities can be a great way to promote Psychological wellbeing. This could involve things like after-work drinks, team sports, or company-sponsored social events. Be aware of alcohol abuse if after work drinks is a thing in your company as this can trigger psychological breakdown to some individuals. - Support employees in times of need
- Finally, it is important to support employees during times of difficulty or crisis. This could involve providing grief counselling after a death, offering financial assistance during tough economic times or support when a relationship breaks down.
This might be a stretch, but this is a really good one, if you are a company director or owner, give your employees a call and say hello, ask about their wellbeing, family etc and offer personal help where possible and see the positive impact this practice will have in your organisation.
People risk is the biggest risk you will always be faced with as an organisation. It presents both potential problems and rewards.
By taking these steps, you have a better chance of a more successful organisations when you promote a healthy workplace environment and help to improve the Psychological wellbeing of your employees.
If you would like to learn about our bespoke training on workplace wellbeing, please contact us using the contact options here to get in touch with my team.
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