Mental Health Awareness Month is here, and it’s the perfect time to highlight a topic every organization should be paying attention to as 76% of employees now say mental health benefits are critical when applying for new job opportunities.
Even if your company doesn’t currently offer mental health benefits, you can still show your team support by hosting a few Mental Health Awareness Month activities for your staff.
Creating meaningful experiences will help employees feel happier and more connected. We’ve compiled some ideas you can try in your business or organization to celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month.
1. Encourage Feedback & Recognition
Positive feedback can make someone’s day. It can also help your employees build deeper connections and increase trust. Encourage your staff to send out a positive note or some words of encouragement. You can also do shout-outs during team or company-wide meetings. If your team is in an office, write down positive feedback on a shared whiteboard.
2. Take Off Early on a Friday Afternoon
Give your employees a few extra hours and encourage them to use them time for some self-care! This time should be for them, not for work. Then when everyone is back on Monday, share what you did for your self-care afternoon.
3. Get Moving – as a Team!
Physical health is crucial to your employees well-being, and increasing your physical activity can actually reduce your risk for depression. Take a team walk or hike, and don’t talk about work while you’re on it! You could also organize a friendly step-count competition (this could work for virtual or hybrid employees, too!).
4. Team Building Activities
Try a team-building activity to learn more about each other, while also strengthening your relationships. The Chamber has lots of team-building ideas, feel free to reach out for inspiration!
5. Give Employees a Small Bonus, if you can!
Whether it be a $5 gift card to your local coffee shop, a book focused on self-care, or a new plant for your office space – a little something can go a long way to boost morale.
6. Share Your Stress Buster Success Stories
During a team meeting, ask each person what THEY do to help combat the stresses of life, or their favorite way to de-stress after a long day. You may be able to help them find more time to do those things, or you could learn a new technique to implement yourself!
7. Talk to Your Leadership About Mental Health
Company leaders who understand the importance of mental health in the workplace are more likely to lead in a way that shows their employees they truly care and value their well-being. If your leadership team isn’t there yet, share with them some of the benefits of focusing on mental health and it’s direct relationship to employee satisfaction, retention, and building company culture.
8. Provide an Educational Experience or Training
We all suffer from feeling stressed out, whether it be from workplace drama or personal stuff. Bringing in a therapist or trained mental health professional to talk to your team about mental health and how to manage stress is a great way to show them you truly care.
Click here for a list of Chamber members in the Healthcare / Mental Health field.