In recent years, there has been a lot of talk about mental health in the workplace and why a business needs to pay attention to the discussions. However, for many workplaces, mental health is still a taboo subject because some topics included in the discussions, such as anxiety, trauma, and burnout, are sensitive topics not many are open to talk about. Some may even be against talking about it because of the boundaries they set between personal life and work.

Given the impacts of mental health problems on the performance of employees and turnover rates, there is a need to make it a meaningful conversation. But how can you do it?

Know If The Discussion Fits Your Workplace

Before you can begin any discussion about mental health at work, you need to make sure that it is a topic that you and your entire team are okay to discuss.

Employees are not obligated to divulge their physical or mental health, nor is it asked during a job interview. But, to ensure each employee is provided for and their situation, you must discuss mental health with the company and your team.

Meanwhile, it would help if you also considered those who do not want to reveal their mental health situation and see what can be done to help them. For these people, it is vital that the workplace is welcoming, or they may consider switching to a company that will support and accept them.

Identify Your Personal Goals When Discussing Mental Health At Work

If you want to normalize the discussions on mental health, you need to identify the goals for these discussions. Are you doing it to reduce the stigma on the topic? Or do you want to encourage the discussions to get more support? Once these goals are identified, navigating the discussions and offering suggestions will be easier.

Offer Training And Ready Information

Some people clam up in discussing mental health at work because they are not sure how to deal with it or they are not sure what the company can provide to help them overcome their mental health problems. There’s also the argument that they are not sure about what to do when a mental health attack occurs.

To counter this problem, you can ask your company to provide information about mental health problems and treatment that employees can review. You can also supplement this information by offering training courses on determining and dealing with mental health problems.

Get The Support Of An Official

Finally, you can normalize the discussions if you seek the help of an official or a higher-up who can lead the discussions. Meet them during their breaks and discuss their mental health situation to see what reactions you may face when you bring up the topic. You may even negotiate with them to partner with you to advocate the discussions.

It is undeniable that mental health is as important as one’s physical health. Whether you are facing a mental health struggle or you want to help your team with their struggles, taking the initiative to start the discussions is a brave move to make. But, it is essential to plan how you will normalise the conversation about mental health because the topic is a delicate one.

With a clear plan in mind and working with a team company to support the discussions, you will be able to chip away at the stigma about mental health in the workplace slowly but surely.

Open conversations are important at workplaces. Here are some of the important stuff we need to discuss in workplaces as well:
6 Important Tips for Managers to Prevent Bullying in Their Team
Identifying The Different Types Of Workplace Bullying
10 Ways to Encourage Knowledge Sharing Across Your Organisation

Can’t get enough of MiddleMe? You can find me sharing my thoughts here as well: 
Instagram @kallymiddleme
Twitter  (MiddleMe_net)
FaceBook (MiddleMe.net)
LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/kallytay