How Focusing on Mental Wellbeing is Good for Business

May 23, 2021

A company’s success is defined not only by profit and revenues, but also its ability to attract, inspire, and retain talented staff. A critical piece of achieving this success is understanding and fostering emotional wellbeing among employees.

Assessing Employee Emotional Wellbeing in Your Workplace

Emotional wellbeing determines an individual’s ability to cope with stressors. It describes a resiliency capable of managing unpleasant feelings as well as pleasant in a manner that fosters internal stability, as well as personal growth. Emotional wellbeing also entails the communication and social skills necessary to maintain healthy connections with others, including workplace relationships. This concept of team engagement is especially important in today’s business world where the need for group collaboration and professional connection has become more vital than ever. 

How does poor emotional wellbeing impact business?

Any good employer wants their employees to be happy and balanced because they care about them. We know you care about your employees beyond the bottom line. There’s no denying, however, that poor emotional health is also bad for business. When emotional wellbeing is lacking or impaired, our ability to manage emotions, thoughts, and feelings to solve problems and overcome difficulties is restricted. Without the necessary support to cope with and manage emotional stress, employees may manifest the physical toll in a multitude of work-related ways.

Signs of emotional stress at work include:

  • Fatigue leading to safety-related accidents or tardiness
  • Impaired concentration and cognition causing reduced work quality and project delays
  • Loss of appetite
  • Interpersonal workplace conflict
  • Chronic pain

With these physical consequences come exponentially higher health care costs, more sick days, less productivity, and an unhappy workplace environment.

How does high emotional wellbeing increase productivity?

High emotional wellbeing produces employees who are able to fully engage with a task from a place of personal investment. It produces a self-efficacy that leads to better decision-making and problem solving, while also providing a base of personal stability that accepts, reflects on, and responds to constructive criticism. Likewise, an emotionally healthy and collaborative team is characterized by trust among its members, a sense of group identity, and group agency.

Fostering Emotional Wellbeing in the Workplace

  • Promote an inclusive culture – According to Harvard Business Review, the single most important factor affecting employee wellbeing is a positive culture. Employees who feel they are an integral part of an inclusive workplace culture believe they can be their authentic self. Consequently, they are freed to engage emotionally with other team members, confident that their perspectives are being considered.
    • Address stress appropriately – Allow space for team members to express themselves—including their frustrations and emotions—in a safe and nonjudgmental environment. Look to mitigate stress by encouraging individuals to share what they may be struggling with, and by providing them with the tools they need to succeed. While providing appropriate tools for managing wellbeing can look differently in every the scenario, one such example would be 24/7 access to a mental health coaching app such as Mindy by Healthport. Mindy is designed to serve as a coaching tool that helps users develop positive mental health habits.
    • Prioritize connection – Widespread isolation stemming from COVID-19 lockdowns have highlighted the importance of prioritizing social connection as never before. A recent study demonstrated that lonely workers are more likely to miss work due to stress or illness, and they are more likely to question the quality of work they perform. Attempt to mitigate some of these challenges by encouraging communication and interaction among team members. Provide social opportunities for employees to connect with one another outside of the office such as with company outings, team lunches, etc.
    • Practice employee recognition and appreciation – Appreciation is perhaps the single most important factor in employee retention. Employees who feel their work is actively recognized and appreciated find a greater degree of satisfaction in their work-life balance, and are able to enjoy an increased sense of belonging and personal wellbeing.
    • Facilitate individuality – Allow employees the freedom to work in a manner that caters to their individual strengths and lifestyle. Where the situation permits, this could look like allowing employees the choice to design their own work schedules, or even to work from home.
    • Maintain work–life boundaries – A major source of stress within the workplace is the lack of a clear delineation between work time and free time. Attempt to normalize boundaries between these domains among your staff by demonstrating your respect for their personal time outside of work.

To learn more about how Mindy by Healthport could benefit your employees and your workplace, schedule a demo with our team.