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How to improve your mental wellbeing at work

How to improve your mental wellbeing in the workplace

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines health as ‘a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’.
And, just as the state of our physical wellbeing can fluctuate, so too can the state of our mental wellbeing.

We recognise that mental health is a complicated issue not yet fully understood by modern science. The state of our mental wellbeing can be impacted by a multitude of factors, many of which are not necessarily related to our working environment.

However, there is little doubt that a poor work environment is corrosive to mental wellbeing, and frequently results in a less productive workplace.

One in three people say work causes them the most stress in life, so it’s clear that the workplace – its environment and its culture – can have a major impact on our mental wellbeing, and therefore our overall health.


At an organisational level, stress and poor mental health costs UK businesses between £33 billion and £42 billion a year through reduced productivity, high staff turnover and sickness absence.

Conversely, workplaces that promote mental wellbeing and support people with mental illness are more likely to reduce absenteeism, increase productivity and benefit from associated economic gains.

So its worthwhile to spend some time thinking about how to improve your mental health at work.

Improve your mental wellbeing at work

In January 2020, a well-known UK bakery chain effectively boosted employee mental wellbeing by providing all staff who had been with the company since before the start of that financial year with an unexpected £300 bonus.

We’re not saying that money is the root to all happiness but, more pay and holiday time certainly have the potential to improve mental wellbeing for many people, at least in the short term.

But of course, increasing salaries and annual leave is neither realistic nor appropriate for many businesses. So, are there other ways to improve mental wellbeing and productivity, not just as a one off, but more sustainably in the longer term?

Firstly lets get a clear idea of what we mean by mental wellbeing.

What is mental Wellbeing?

The concept of wellbeing comprises of two main components: feeling good and functioning well.

Feeling good about one’s life encompasses feelings of happiness, contentment, enjoyment, curiosity and engagement. A person with a good outlook on life is more likely to possess self-confidence and have positive self-esteem.

Of equal importance for wellbeing is how we function in the world. This includes having healthy and positive relationships, and the ability to feel and express a range of emotions. Having some control over one’s life, as well as feeling a sense of purpose, are also important attributes of wellbeing.

With good mental wellbeing we are more resilient. In other words, we are better able to cope with the everyday stresses of life, and to adapt in times of change and uncertainty.
Our mental wellbeing is dynamic, meaning the level of wellbeing we experience can fluctuate from moment to moment, and over time.

Contributing factors to mental wellbeing in the workplace

There are a variety of reasons why work might have a negative impact on mental wellbeing, such as poor relations with colleagues, poor work-life balance or an unhealthy physical working environment.

Research shows that while employers are getting better at assessing factors such as staff satisfaction; staff wellbeing, mental health and stress are often not directly measured6.
Workload is often one of the biggest causes of stress in the workplace. Despite this, Mind’s Workplace Wellbeing Index 2017/18 found that less than half of organisations conducted stress risk assessments to ensure that anticipated workloads are realistic.

People manage stress differently. Work stress that affects one person’s mental wellbeing, may not affect the wellbeing of another. Further, stress may affect the same person differently at different times dependent on an array of other factors. In other words, every individual’s response to potential stressors is unique.

Of course, many people find going to work is good for their mental wellbeing. In addition to providing a source of income, work can bring contact and friendship with others, a steady routine and structure, and a sense of achievement.

A recipe for happiness

In his book Good Reasons for Bad Feelings, evolutionary psychiatrist Randolph M. Nesse suggests that to be happy we really only need two things:

1. Connections – ie friends, family, co-workers, etc.
2. Hope – in other words optimism about the future or just a general feeling that things will get better.

Without these two components our mental wellbeing may deteriorate.

Online learning experts Echo 3 run a Mental Wellbeing course that provides an understanding for staff and managers how to maintain a healthy mindset alongside the stresses of work.

This course explores how social connections and hope might be achieved within a work environment however, it may also be valuable for you to take some time to reflect on these concepts within your life beyond work.

How to improve you mental health at work.

Having good mental wellbeing helps us reach our full potential. Mental wellbeing provides us with the resilience required to cope with the challenges life throws at us, and it helps us engage fully in our personal and professional relationships.

Most of us have a good understanding of how to improve our physical health (whether we choose to act on this or not). We know we need daily physical activity and a healthy balanced diet. We understand the potential consequences of smoking and over consummation of alcohol.

However, when it comes to caring for our mental health, for many of us the same degree of understanding is still lacking. Which is such a shame considering there are simple, achievable steps we can all take to improve our mental wellbeing.

Self-care techniques and some simple lifestyle changes can help improve general mental wellbeing, as well as manage the symptoms of many mental health problems. The term self-care describes the actions that a person might take in order to reach optimal physical and mental health.

Research shows there are five distinct actions that can help build resilience, improve wellbeing and lower the risk of developing mental health problems7. These actions are known internationally as the Five Ways to Wellbeing and they are:

1. Connect
2. Be Active
3. Take notice
4. Keep learning
5. Give

1. Connect with colleagues in the workplace

Workplace relationships are hugely important in nurturing a sense of mental wellbeing at work. Feeling valued and being part of a supportive team can have a very positive impact on our confidence and self-worth. As well as reaching out to colleagues for support, being there for others, in turn, helps us feel valued and strengthens collegiate connections. Knowing we have positive connections makes for a happier, mentally healthier working day.
Reflect on your own workplace connections. How might you strengthen and broaden these? Connections don’t just happen.

They need nurtured and require some proactivity on your part. Simple strategies include:

• Talk
Start a conversation over the water cooler or photocopier, take five minutes at the end of a meeting, spark up some small talk in the lift. It’s amazing what you can learn about your colleagues in a few fleeting moments that can broaden connections and build bonds.

• Take a break
Take time for a proper tea or lunch break. Sit with colleagues in the staffroom or canteen. Pop to the local café for coffee or eat your sandwiches together in the local park. Stronger social ties can lead to a more harmonious workplace.

• Virtually connect
Increasingly, people are working remotely. You might work from home or be part of a global organisation where international online meetings are the norm. It is just as important to connect virtually as it is in person. Perhaps even more so. Whether you communicate by phone, email or conference call – take time to talk, and to listen.

• Socialise
Consider getting together with colleagues for some lunchtime or after work sports. Go to the work social you normal duck out of. Join your colleagues for a Friday post-work dinner or encourage others to join you. Getting to know our colleagues outside the usual work environment can really strengthen connections. However, do be careful with regards alcohol consumption. It goes without saying that it’s important to be mindful of professional standards during any work social event.

Disconnection in the workplace

While positive work relationships can make for a more productive, mentally healthy working environment, we don’t always have a choice about who we work with and we don’t always get on with our colleagues, managers or clients. This can create tension that, if not managed effectively, can negatively impact your mental wellbeing at work. If you are already dealing with mental health problems, then work politics and unhealthy work relationships can be particularly challenging.

If you are struggling with a relationship at work, it can help to seek support. While you might feel awkward discussing the issue, it is far better in the long run to deal with problems than to let them fester. You might feel able to discuss the situation with a line manager, a mentor or a trusted colleague. If discussing the issue with the person directly, take time to make a plan, choose an appropriate time and place to meet, and be prepared to listen, and be listened to. Difficult conversations require the right mindset. If you are unsure of the best approach or are worried about the consequences, seek a confidential meeting with HR.

Larger organisations may have an employee assistance programme or counselling provision which might be able to support you in developing strategies for managing difficult relationships at work.

Sometimes, if a person is displaying unusual or difficult behaviours, this may be a sign that they themselves are struggling. It may be appropriate to reach out to them and offer support, or you might choose to alert your line manager to your concerns. We look at supporting colleagues with mental wellbeing in the next unit.

2. Be Active

The human body is designed for activity and movement but instead we are becoming increasingly sedentary. Being sedentary means sitting or lying down for long periods while awake and studies show that sedentary behaviour can be harmful to health – even if you are meeting the recommended physical activity guidelines (at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week10).
You may have a job where you spend the majority of your day on your feet and physically active. That’s great. However, for many of us, our working days are physically inactive, with much of the time spent sitting down.

If we can reduce this sedentary behaviour and increase movement at work, this not only helps combat the health issues mentioned earlier, but it can decrease the risk of musculoskeletal disorders such as back, neck, shoulder and arm pain, and lower the risk of work-related stress, depression or anxiety.

Workload pressure is the main cause of work-related stress. Breaking up sitting time at work – for example, by taking a proper lunch break away from your desk – can be helpful when you are feeling under pressure.

And you might be surprised at how many other ways there are to introduce more movement to your working day work.

3. Take notice

Mindfulness has received a lot of press in recent years. While some may initially be tempted to dismiss mindfulness as airy-fairy nonsense, there is an increasing body of research evidencing that being aware of what is taking place in the present directly enhances your wellbeing.

It’s easy to get so caught up in our own heads that we stop noticing the world around us. This is particularly true if we are feeling stressed, anxious or overworked.

When we become more aware of the present moment, we begin to experience afresh things that we have been taking for granted. Taking notice helps us appreciate what matters to us. This, in turn, supports us in making decisions and choosing behaviours that are more in line with our own values, needs and interests.

Workplace studies show that mindfulness can reduce stress, anxiety and depression, as well as having potential positive effects on some chronic illness and pain. Other benefits include enhanced creativity, emotional resilience, clarity of thought and improved relationships.

4. Keep learning

Studies show that continuing learning throughout life benefits our mental wellbeing. It can improve our self-esteem and encourage social interaction and a more active lifestyle12. When we commit to learning something new, we engage in goal-directed behaviour, ie the process of setting goals and working towards them.

This also has a positive influence on our mental wellbeing. Goals give us that all important hope we discussed in the previous unit.

There are learning opportunities all around us. These might be formal, for example gaining a qualification in through evening class or taking an online training course. They might also be informal, for example learning to cook a new recipe or eventually getting round to working out how to use that software package at work. While your learning might have a particular instrumental end, for example career progression or a course certificate, you might also be engaging in learning something simply because you want to try something new. Being curious and seeking out new experiences at work and in life positively stimulates the brain.

5. Give

Active participation in social and community life, through helping, sharing, giving and team-oriented activities, has strong associations with positive feelings, including an increased sense of self-worth and overall life satisfaction. The ‘win-win’ potential is that, in addition to improving your own wellbeing, acts of giving are also likely to improve the wellbeing of the person or people you help.

In the workplace, you might choose to give by taking up a formal volunteering opportunity, such as training to be a mental health first aider, mentoring a school student on work experience or playing an active role in charity fundraising. Many organisations have volunteering opportunities and corporate social responsibility programmes that enable staff to get involved in community work.

However, it’s not just the big gives that can positively impact your mental wellbeing. Small gives can have just as big an impact. Do something nice for a colleague, for example make them a cup of tea or pick them up something while you’re in the shop. Thank someone or pay someone a compliment. Take notice of when a colleague might be feeling under stress and ask if you can help them.

If someone gives to you, consider how you might ‘pay it forward’ and give something to someone else.

Summary

These simple tips can be helpful for your staff to understand too. So we’ve created a short online Mental Wellbeing course to help you share this knowledge in a clear and memorable way.

Sources

1 World Health Organization (1948) Preamble to the Constitution of WHO as adopted by the International Health Conference, New York, 19 June – 22 July 1946.
2 World Health Organization (2018) Mental health: strengthening our response.
3 Farmer, P. and Stevenson, D. (2017) Thriving at Work: A review of mental health and employers.
4 World Health Organization (2020) Mental Health in the Workplace.
5 Populus poll commissioned by mental health charity Mind (2013).
6 Mind (2018) Mind’s Workplace Wellbeing Index 2017/18 – Key insights.
7 nef (the new economics foundation) (2008) Five Ways to Wellbeing: report presented to the Foresight Project on communicating the evidence base for improving people’s wellbeing.
8 Jenkins, R., Meltzer, H., Jones, P., Brugha, T. and Bebbington, P. (2008) Mental health and ill health challenge report. London: Foresight.
9 Edmunds, S., Biggs, H. and Goldie, I. (2013) Let’s Get Physical: The impact of physical activity on wellbeing. London: Mental Health Foundation.
10 NHS (2018) Benefits of Exercise.
11 Hilton, L. et al. (2019) Mindfulness meditation for workplace wellness: An evidence map.
12 Kirkwood, T. et al. (2008) Mental capital through life Challenge Report. London: Foresight Mental Capital and Wellbeing Project.
13 Jordan, H. (2019) ‘The Line Manager’s Role in Mental Wellbeing’, HR Magazine.
14 Mental Health Foundation (2017) Foundation How to Support Mental Health at Work.