Every year, millions of Americans feel anxious, depressed, or experience other mental health issues. May is Mental Health Awareness Month. As business leaders, we are committed to supporting mental health in the workplace and beyond. But with different demands on our time, we want to be impactful and efficient. How can we provide our employees with the resources and tools they deserve without putting an additional strain on our own mental health? Today, through some inspirational quotes, we’re going to give you some quick tips. Let’s look at the citation.
“Perfection is the enemy of progress” – Winston Churchill
The myth of perfection and the inability to obtain it inherently causes stress and can have a negative impact on mental health. If employees feel there is no room for making the mistakes that are part of the human experience, simple tasks can seem insurmountable. Give yourself room to make mistakes, learn, and grow. Mentoring programs and an open culture between reporting levels, including regular check-ins, can help turn mistakes into successes. Standardize progress over perfection.
“…Exercise is the most powerful but underrated antidepressant” – Bill Phillips
Just five minutes of moderate aerobic exercise can help reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. Exercise, nutrition, sleep, and other lifestyle factors all play a role in our overall health. What can your company do to promote a (mentally) healthier lifestyle for your employees? Consider providing ongoing, bite-sized education on the topic every month. Bonus points if the education is easy to implement. For example, you could send out this MyPlate quiz for personalized healthy eating tips along with the dietary support offered in your benefits plan. You could also conduct in-person walking meetings with your employees and distribute simple stretches to reduce back pain. Good physical health habits lead to improved mental health.
“It is important to take slow, deep breaths. It’s like an anchor in the middle of an emotional storm. An anchor can’t make the storm go away, but it can hold you steady until it passes.. “ – Dr. Russ Harris
Stress usually doesn’t feel good. Stress can make your muscles tense and increase your heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels. Slow breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which tells our body that it’s safe and that it can calm down and relax. Consider trying this exercise as you read. First, rate your current stress and anxiety on a scale of 1 to 10. 10 is the worst. Next, he takes three deep abdominal breaths, expanding his belly as he inhales through his nose and relaxing it as he exhales through his mouth. Imagine being able to mentally observe your breath as you breathe in and out. Finally, re-rate your stress and anxiety using the same scale. What has changed? Maybe you started with 10 and ended up with 8. Or maybe you feel more grounded, even though your stress levels haven’t changed. Repeat as many times as you like and see what changes over time. You can share this or similar exercises with your employees at staff meetings, via email or social channels.
“Sometimes our first and greatest courage is to ask for support” – Brené Brown
Finding a path forward in your mental health journey may require outside support. Do your employees know what resources they have access to? Do you? Although you are not expected to act as a mental health professional, you should be able to show employees what is available. This is another place where healthcare professionals can shine, often providing dynamic support that goes beyond talk therapy. Please contact your healthcare provider directly to find out what they are offering. Other avenues include the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). Remind employees of what’s available to them throughout the year.
“You don’t lead people by what you say. You guide them based on what they see you do.True leaders are self-leaders” – Israelmore Ivor
Policies, resources, and tools are the backbone of our journey towards a mentally healthy workplace. However, her actions as a business leader may be the key to putting policy into action. So teach them breathing exercises, share a walk you took to clear their head, or indicate that you no longer respond to emails outside of business hours. Let your employees know that you are there to support them.
Finally, I would like to quote Dr. Noam Spencer: “Mental health is a process, not a destination. It’s important to know how you act and where you’re going.”
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