Mental strength is the ability to adapt to or recover from psychological difficulties, life changes, and other challenges. In this blog post, we’ll explain how employers can help improve their employees’ mental strength — and why it’s a win-win for everyone.
Sustainability isn’t just about taking care of the environment. Equally important is working proactively to offer your employees a sustainable work situation.
The concept of “proactive health” is all about reducing the risk of health issues — physical and mental — through a continuous focus on overall well-being. It’s like fireproofing a building from the beginning, rather than waiting for a fire to break out.
Here are five ways that you can help your employees become mentally stronger.
1. Exercise Improves Mental Health
It’s as simple as it sounds. An intense workout session works wonders for both your physical and mental well-being. According to Harvard Health, exercise enhances our cognitive abilities, making the brain more resilient.
Some might feel that exercise is a burden — but it’s a burden employers can help alleviate. Obviously, a generous wellness allowance lowers the financial barrier. But why not also offer employees the chance to exercise during work hours? Consider organizing a lunchtime running group for employees who want to be active during their breaks or hosting monthly yoga sessions at the office. There are numerous ways to integrate exercise into team-building activities that everyone can participate in.
A digital benefits platform can be useful for organizing and coordinating these activities. Through it, employers can provide gym memberships, set up health challenges, and deliver additional health and wellness discounts through a marketplace.
2. Relaxation Reduces Stress
According to WIN’s recent survey, 79% of individuals said they experience stress to varying degrees of severity. People feeling most stressed daily are those working full time (82%), and students (83%).
Even though more employees are reporting stress-related issues, some may not be able to recognize their symptoms. Continuing at the same pace can eventually lead to burnout.
There are many ways to relax, including baking, painting, or practicing yoga — but these hobbies are often put off until the weekend. To combat this, employers can offer digital tools, like a wellness app, giving employees access to relaxation exercises and meditation anytime, anywhere. It’s also important to encourage employees to take breaks when they feel stressed. This can result in enhanced job performance and overall productivity.
3. Psychological Support Relieves Pressure
Difficult life situations are harder to manage when a lot is going on at work. Working can serve as a distraction from any mental health issues — but eventually, those issues will come back around. When that happens, our mental endurance decreases. Suffering in silence should not be the norm. Providing employees with convenient access to digital mental health support sessions is an effective way to alleviate stress before it becomes overwhelming.
4. Evaluate and Improve Work-Life Balance
During the pandemic, work-life balance became a familiar topic for most people, and it remains something that can have a significant effect on employees’ health.
Employers can contribute to a positive work-life balance by, for instance, allowing flexible working hours. Some companies let employees finish early on Fridays, while others offer paid wellness days.
It's essential to consistently assess your current rewards and benefits strategy to provide offerings that promote employee well-being and foster a healthy work-life balance for all employees.
5. Establish Healthy Routines
Numerous organizations are still grappling with strategies to encourage employees to return to the office and increase engagement rates. Regardless of the approach — remote, hybrid, or office first — it’s important to incorporate routines that strengthen employees’ mental resilience.
A well-designed health strategy, with regular check-ups via an external partner, can help prevent health problems. Another method is to make exercise fun by introducing activity challenges, such as step-counting or points-based systems linked to physical activities. Since nutrition is a key part of the health puzzle, consider introducing a free breakfast once a month or offering nutritious snacks available in the workplace.
Modern technology provides many tools to help establish or improve routines. By establishing stable routines, employers can eliminate distractions, increase employee focus, and help them develop healthy habits.
To learn more about how our platform can enhance your current rewards and benefits strategy to better support employee well-being and mental resilience, click the link below for more details.
