Mental Health in the workplace and the digital age

A recent government commissioned report, Thriving at Work published last month highlights that mental health in the workplace is still a taboo subject. Whilst employers have made great strides investing in wellbeing in the workplace, more still needs to be done.

I have just finished reading a thought provoking book called Thrive by Arianna Huffington, Founder of Huffington Post who makes a connection between mental health and our inabilities to switch off in this digital age. Mindfulness, meditation and exercise have proven to improve productivity at work, employee wellbeing and mental health.  

So what’s this got to do with the workplace?

Everything.

Often the very things that are supposed to help us stay in touch with our colleagues, meet project deadlines and work remotely can have a detrimental effect on our mental health. The lines between work and personal life are becoming increasingly blurred in a world where we have 24/7 access to e-mails and social media.

As I read more of Thrive, I can relate to a lot of the cultural norms that exist in many workplaces big or small that I’ve seen myself- long working hours culture, pressure to respond instantly to e-mails, sleep deprivation, being (electronically) available 7 days a week, juggling too much and having little downtime.

Prioritising our physical and mental health, learning to switch off from our electronic devices and taking time out every day not just holidays benefits everyone in terms of productivity, reducing sickness absence and employee wellbeing.

More employers recognise the need to promote mental health and wellbeing of their employees, encourage a better balance between work and personal life and physical activity. However, it can be difficult if you are a small business with a small workforce who often cover more than one person’s jobs.

According to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), around 60% of those working in the private sector are employed by small businesses. So it is imperative that mental health and wellbeing of staff working in small businesses is a priority. However, support on mental health and wellbeing has until recently tended to focus on larger companies and the public sector which is why it was encouraging to see a Wellbeing campaign launched by FSB in September 2017 to help small business owners and their workforce reap the positive benefits of looking after their own and their employees' mental health and wellbeing. The campaign which ran for a week during September included a guide for small businesses on very practical ways to support mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.

Link: https://www.fsb.org.uk/docs/default-source/fsb-org-uk/well-being-and-small-business---how-you-can-help.pdf?sfvrsn=0

It encourages small business owners and managers to take small practical steps to promoting the mental health and wellbeing of their employees from as simple as talking about mental health in the workplace to break down the stigma and encourage open conversations amongst staff to getting outdoors instead of holding a meeting in a stuffy office and becoming more active from encourage cycling to work or lunchtime run clubs and also offering training to line managers on supporting employees with mental health conditions. The guide also offers tips on improving exposure to natural light particularly important in offices and factories with limited natural light which evidence has shown increases productivity by 18%.

Perhaps also creating a working culture where employees are encouraged to leave their digital devices outside meeting rooms, checking their e-mails a few times a day rather than as they arrive in their inbox and getting away from their desk or phoning to talk to a colleague rather than e-mail will go some way in a promoting a better work/digital technology balance at home and in the office.