Many countries today are running in the race to become the fastest-growing economies across the globe yet recent surveys carried out by various organisations.
According to a survey by Mercer, approximately 81% of workers face some form of burnout or mental health problems, and women are considerably facing it more than men in the workplace today.
We celebrate World Mental Health Day every year, under the theme of ‘mental health in an unequal world’ to raise mental health awareness and advocacy against the stigma.
WHO has stated, “We must heed and act on this wake-up call and dramatically accelerate the scale-up of investment in mental health because there is no health without mental health.
Hence, organizations along with emphasizing mental wellness, leaders also must ensure that employees from diverse backgrounds have access to adequate mental health care. This concern has gone unnoticed for far too long.
1. Overcoming stigma: It’s okay to be not okay
Organisations need to develop a supportive workplace where mental well-being is more than merely encouraging disclosure. They must first focus on boosting awareness and crafting campaigns that transform beliefs and minimise stigma through campaigns and leading by example.2. Connecting mental well-being with DEI strategy
Mental health and diversity and inclusion (D&I) are inextricably linked. According to a survey by National Alliance on Mental Illness, Asian people are 51% less likely to use mental health services than their white colleagues at work. leaders must ensure to foster a diverse, open and transparent workplace culture where all employees have equal access to mental health help from employee resource groups to counselling services to mental health screening tools.3. Leveraging tech and digital tools to support employees
Individuals and businesses suffer greatly as a result of poor mental health. Employers can leverage new digital technologies to give personalized support as they can provide therapies to assist positive behavioural changes.
Raman Mittal, co-founder at Idanim, said, “Mental health of employees has been on the priority of organisational leaders even more ever since the pandemic happened. With hybrid working becoming the new norm, the big change we are seeing is the use of technology to make wellness more pervasive and accessible. Hence, employers are today focusing on “app-based” approaches to provide multiple wellness options like Yoga, Meditation and Counseling. We are seeing a renewed focus on meditation since it can be done in one’s own time and space and is most closely linked to mental wellness. Moreover, mindfulness and meditation help increase one’s productivity making it a win-win for employers & employees.”
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