Today is World Mental Health Day and this year's theme is prioritising mental health in the workplace.
It is estimated that the average Brit will spend over 84,000 hours at work during the course of their career. To put that into perspective, that's nine and half years of your life. That's a lot of time, right?
I know that might not seem like the most positive opening paragraph to a blog that intends to inspire positive action, but I think it's important to recognise just how much time we spend at work - and how much of an impact we can have as colleagues and managers on other people's lives, too.
I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder at the age of 17 and their beloved ally, depression, officially joined forces with them about 7 years later. This means I've been living with a mental health condition since I started my professional career.
I've experienced and witnessed all sorts of treatment over the years as someone who struggles with their mental health - some exemplary and some, quite frankly, shameful. Regardless of whether you're an employee or a manager, I believe we all have a responsibility to create a workplace that is safe for everyone - for those who are struggling their mental health and those who are not. After all, we all have mental heath so creating a supportive work environment benefits us all.
Read on to find out more about the best things colleagues and managers I've worked with have done to help create a workplace that prioritises mental health. Although I've split the tips into two different groups, it goes without saying that managers are colleagues too....
Advice for colleagues wanting to create a safe mental health space at work
1) Practise complete confidentiality People can feel very uncomfortable talking about their mental health in general, let alone at work. Even if you feel comfortable talking about your own emotions and feelings, you shouldn't presume people feel the same when being asked to talk about theirs. If someone has trusted you enough to share what challenges and struggles they're facing, honour that trust. By practising confidentiality, you help create a trusting environment for people to gain the confidence and reassurance they need to open up.
Adding to that, if you really want to be a colleague someone can confide in, it's important you to do not engage in gossip that centres on someone's mental health struggles. People are very unlikely to share what's going on with them if they heard you sharing someone else's struggles the week before.
2) Don't put people on the spot It can be tempting to ask someone how they're doing when you're with them in person or you're on a one-to-one call. And for some people, this might be okay. However, some people use work as an escape and a distraction so may not appreciate being asked about their emotional wellbeing out of the blue - especially if it's clear they've been struggling.
It is important to let colleagues know you're there for them so if you do want to reach out, perhaps a text message would land better in the first instance. This gives the person time to respond in their own time and think about what they would like to or not like to share. Either way, it's on their own terms. It might also give them the space to consider opening up to you whereas if they're asked face-to-face, they may be so used to shutting down questions regarding how they are that this is the approach they take out of habit.
3) Respect people's boundaries Boundary setting can be very difficult, especially for those who are natural people pleasers. As a former people pleaser myself - something that is common amongst people who suffer with anxiety or depression - implementing boundaries has been one of the most empowering things I've ever done. That's why I encourage everyone to do the same - and ask others to support them in upholding them.
However, there are sadly a few occasions where I've seen people's boundaries being disrespected or challenged in the workplace. Whether it's someone saying they don't want to come out for post-work drinks because they're trying to avoid alcohol and being told their 'boring', or giving extra work to colleagues who have already expressed the need for a better work life balance, ignoring someone's boundaries can have a detrimental impact on their ability to manage their wellbeing.
For me, for example, ensuring work doesn't impact on my ability to exercise is hugely important to me. I feel no need to justify why I am spending an hour of my lunch going to the gym and why I am carving that time out in my diary. It is one of the things that helps manage my mental health and it is non-negotiable. If a spontaneous lunch time social gathering was therefore suggested or a non-urgent call was put in my diary and I declined because I had already allocated time for exercise, I would expect my boundaries to be respected. After all, social events should be optional and I think there is a growing need for people to understand what 'urgent' means in the workplace (all tea, no shade, as RuPaul and her queens would say)
4) Be open about your own feelings and emotions When I talk about feelings and emotions, people often presume I mean coming together in some sort of campfire style setting to unearth our deepest, darkest struggles or secrets. They also think that I'm asking them to share harrowing personal experience. I can confirm I'm not suggesting either of these approaches.
What I'm actually suggesting is that it's important to express some sort of emotion. So if something has frustrated or angered you, it's okay to say that. If you're excited or happy about something, it's okay to express that too. People regularly presume when we talk about emotions, we mean sadness. But there are a whole spectrum of emotions that we experience as human beings - good and bad. To be blunt, if you act like a consistently unphased, emotionless robot, it's unlikely someone is going to feel able to be vulnerable around you. This is especially important for managers, in my experience. People you work with or manage are likely to feel like you're going to judge them or label them as weak for experiencing any emotions if you appear as though you don't experience any yourself.
If you want to create an accepting and inclusive culture at your place of work where people feel able to talk about their mental health, you need to be able to talk about your emotions and feelings to some degree too.
Advice for managers wanting to create a safe mental health space at work
I appreciate it can feel overwhelming to try and do your part to influence positive change - especially when you're given eight suggestions like I've done! That's why I encourage you to remember just one - maybe two if you're feeling extra ambitious - and make a commitment to implement it as of today. If we all do a little, our efforts will accumulate to a lot. Together, we'll help to create a better workplace for everyone.
The suggestions I've shared above are just a few ideas I've collated from my own personal experience. You may have a few ideas of your own and I invite you to share them in the comment box.
For more mental health tips and advice - and the occasionally silly reel - follow my Instagram page.
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