While physical health may be more visible, the importance of talking about mental health is something which is finally gaining the valuable recognition it deserves.

Openly discussing mental health in the workplace has an incredible number of benefits for staff, including helping them feel more confident to ask if they feel they need support or guidance.

Therefore, encouraging your employees to talk about mental health in the workplace, where they spend a considerable amount of time, is extremely important. This is why it is beneficial to create a safe and caring office and business environment.

While there are many ways to do this, it can be tricky to know where to start. Here are a few tips that either you or managers can use to promote mental health as a talking point in your business:

Be a role model

One of the easiest ways to let your employees know that they don’t need to bottle up their worries or emotions is to begin talking about your own mental health.

Being open and transparent in conversations, or simply addressing mental health directly, will let employees know that your company is a safe zone to discuss these issues. While it may be nerve-racking to be the first person to bring up mental health, once others begin talking openly it is a great way to get issues off your chest and begin to support each other.

Getting to know your colleagues on a personal level as well as a professional level shows you care and will make them feel more confident talking about any issues that may be affecting them.

Don’t be afraid to recruit the help of a professional

While talking about mental health problems and discussing issues that your employees may have is a great start to a caring environment, some people may need a little extra support to face and overcome obstacles.

Offering work capability assessments to employees will provide additional help by allowing them to have a confidential conversation with a qualified health advisor.

This professional will be able to evaluate your employee’s well being and ensure that they are fit to work safely. Whether they are well enough to work or not, the advisor will be able to speak to them and offer them whatever support they need, for as long as they need it.

Incorporate fun into the workplace

Incorporating fun into your workplace will encourage staff to start seeing you and their co-workers as friends, rather than just as professional acquaintances.

This could be something as simple as a staff outing once a month, or regular team building activities. These activities will help alleviate any workplace stress, allowing staff to recharge and build bonds within the team. This will make it easier for them to open up to one another when they feel the need to.

Talking about mental health in the workplace doesn’t need to be a taboo, follow these tips to help encourage open communication in your business and have a positive impact on employee wellbeing.