Starting Open and Honest Conversations in the Workplace
We’ve previously discussed how mental health issues can stay hidden, affecting health, productivity, and purpose from the shadows (here and here). The fact of the matter is this: mental health issues like depression and anxiety can manifest themselves with symptoms that can affect us physiologically as well.
When we allow these hidden struggles to fester, we run the risk of their severity worsening and our everyday life becoming more heavily impacted as the days of untreated anguish continue to grow. This is where phrases like he/she just snapped come into play, because eventually, something’s gotta give.
But it’s not all dread and misfortune. While many of those who suffer from depression and other mental health issues choose to remain silent, research is showing that there’s a real benefit to talking about it, and managers can help by being approachable and initiating ‘honest conversations’.
Article: Honest conversations one thing all of us can do to help tackle suicide, Dr Louise Byrnes says
One of the biggest barriers that managers face when trying to initiate these highly personal conversations is the fact that it can simply be uncomfortable to do. It’s often very difficult to broach a subject that may intrude into someone’s comfort zone.
The discomfort that comes with approaching sensitive and honest topics dealing with mental health issues is overshadowed and outweighed by the potential benefits that lie therein. Even more importantly is the fact that these conversations could work twofold, to not only correct existing issues but to prevent future ones from ever occurring.
And we’re not talking about simply creating a happier worker; the effects can impact physical health as well, which can, in turn, impact your organisation. For instance, improved mental health is associated with better quality sleep, which directly impacts productivity. Sleeping well also leads to better long-term health.
Getting involved in the mental health and wellbeing of your team is part of being a successful business leader. A scientific review in the UK found that managers who initiate conversations with workers achieve real results in preventing burnout and stress-related problems. And while this review showed that smaller organisations tended to utilise these health-boosting conversations more often and on a smaller scale, it doesn’t have to be that way. Organisational interventions in the workplace may be more effective than individual interventions alone.
PDF: Interventions to prevent burnout in high risk individuals: evidence review
The positive capacity to cope with stress or adversity is known as resiliency, and your employees can feel the benefits of it through the constructive management of mental health issues via open conversations. In fact, research has shown that resilience is “the single most important factor in determining whether a person is successful, satisfied and happy” (Shatt, 2008, The Resilience Factor).
HSG offers a wide range of mental health workshops designed to transform your organisation’s culture, sparking open conversations and increasing awareness. Resiliency and stress management workshops teach effective skills and strategies to boost the mental health of all participants in a lasting way.
Everything we do is customised to target your wellness objectives, and meet the needs of your group. Our nationwide team of facilitators have expertise in all kinds of mental health, so contact us today on 1300 889 073 with your ideas, goals and plans for mental health workshops and consultations.
