There’s no doubt that 2020 has put a lot of stress on businesses and individuals alike, and 2021 isn’t guaranteed to get any easier right away. With that being said, it’s important to recognize how you and your employees can benefit from mental health days.
If you were to take a day off for a fever, the same should apply for a panic attack. And let’s face it – employees won’t be productive feeling physically sick or mentally drained.
Let’s dive into how you and your business can benefit from taking (and providing) mental health days.
Benefits of Taking A Mental Health Day
When we take the time to destress and allow our minds the chance to breathe, reboot, and recharge, it can help more than we think. Truth be told, mental health is just as important as our physical health.
According to Psychology Today, taking breaks can actually help productivity and creativity. Taking a day to recharge and then coming back ready to work is actually more beneficial for business. It may not feel like it at the moment, but you are actually helping your company by taking the day off. Read more about this in our other blog, Attn Business Owners: Taking Care of Your Mental Health Matters.
Another reason to make mental health days a thing in your business is because you as a business owner have the chance to destigmatize mental health days. Many people refuse to take mental health days out of guilt, shame, or feeling as if they’ll be deemed as weak or lazy. The mind is a powerful thing, and their thoughts can manipulate them to believe that they’re giving up, acting like a victim, being overdramatic, when it is not the case. The best way to avoid burnout is to take those mental health days before you’re forced to take weeks off due to getting sick from burnout.
Benefits of Providing Mental Health Days
Despite employees having paid time off, many tend to feel as if they can’t use it or “abuse” it. In 2014, the typical U.S. employee took up only half of their vacation time.
As the leader of your company, it’s your responsibility to be conscious of the best ways to coordinate employee hours, schedules, and workflow. By combining benefits and commitment, you can actually boost organizational commitment and lower employee turnover.
Mental health days are simply the beginning.
A mentally healthy workplace is developed and sustained through a culture shift, which can range from a number of tactics including:
- Frequent manager trainings
- Mental health employee training guidebooks
- Mentoring for company leaders
- Mental health employee resource groups (ERGs)
- Mental health included in diversity, equity, and inclusion attempts
Remember, when it comes to the productivity of your business, there is a thin line between giving in and taking care of your needs.
Developing a mental health policy that works
The vast majority of people invest more of their time at their job than with their loved ones. With that said, keeping in mind the workplace can be a place where connection and inclusion are encouraged, or it can be a place with negative impacts on your mental health.
Workplaces with mental health policies that care for everyone’s well-being offer a space where every single person feels valued.
Setting Standards For Your business’s mental health policy
There are some important things to consider when creating a mental health policy.
You want the foundation of your communication plan to be solid. The policy must be concise and identify the aspirations in a way that is meaningful. One way of achieving this would be by improving mental health awareness and knowledge within your work environment. You should pick the communication method that fits best for your company’s ideals.
Once you have that figured out, provide ongoing mental health awareness training for your workers, including those with leadership positions. Finally, measure if it’s working in order to guarantee the success of your company’s mental health policy.
To understand more about workplace mental health, reach out to Watch Media Group. Together, we can create mental health training and educational resources for your business. Click here to discover how working with Watch Media Group will influence mental health awareness in Southern Nevada and your company.
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