Mental Health Training for Workplace Leaders

According to a study by Mental Health America, 83% of employees feel emotionally drained from their work, and another 90% say workplace stress affects their mental health. As a leader, where should we focus our time and energy to make an impact for our team members? ⭐️ EAP’s are severely underutilized, with less than 13% of workers utilizing them. We have to do a better job or communicating the resources available and then make it easy to access them. ⭐️ Leadership training to include mental health first aid is necessary. 44% of employers provide general mental health awareness training, such as identifying depression or signs of suicide and knowing how to intervene in behavioral issues. ⭐️ Provide a safe space to speak about mental health and well-being. This is important for your culture and must be more than just lip service. Start with asking “how are you” and then actually listen to your team members. #MentalHealthMatters #WorldMentalHealthDay #October10 #Leadership #People #Culture

Sales Manager: “We want you to feel comfortable bringing your whole self to work!” Sales Rep: “Really?” Sales Manager: “Yes, of course!” Sales Rep: “OK. I’m really struggling balancing the stress of work and providing care to my elderly father.” Sales Manager: “Oh. Hmmm. Erm. Maybe let’s just focus on a pipeline review for now.” - - This happens. All the time. And it’s not because of bad intentions by the company or the manager. It’s because of poor training and development. Organizations often create values about candor and transparency and being your true self at work. But rarely ever back this up with onboarding and training that support those ideals. Managers should not be therapists. BUT they do need to have a baseline understanding of how to support folks that are struggling with: -anxiety -perfectionism -depression It’s wonderful to see more organizations accept that mental health is a core part of performance management. But if that doesn’t follow with more training around how to have safe, productive conversations about mental health challenges, we are creating a REALLY difficult paradigm. The answer? Get serious about training and developing your leaders on empathy, active listening, and educating team members on resources for mental health. #mentalhealth #salescoaching

How to Foster a Mentally Resilient Workforce In a fast-paced work environment, it's crucial to prioritize employee well-being. Research from the American Heart Association underscores the impact of routine stress on health, highlighting the need for proactive measures. Why? 💹 Prevalence of Workplace Stress is Rising: Approximately two in three employees report work as a significant source of stress, indicating a high burden of stress within the U.S. workforce. 💰 Financial Impact is Hammering Employers: Annual total expenditures related to work-related stress and poor mental health (depression and anxiety) amount to $190 billion and $211 billion respectively. Employers bear half of these costs, primarily due to lost productivity such as absenteeism and reduced engagement at work. 👨🏫 Effectiveness of Resilience Training For Improving Well-being: Participation in resilience training programs has been linked to various positive health outcomes. These include increased energy (51%), regular exercise (45%), improved quality of life (41%), and overall health improvement (73%). Moreover, 80% of those offered resilience training programs acknowledge its strong or very strong impact on their commitment to health. Here are actionable steps to empower your team: 🗣️ Encourage open dialogue: create an environment where employees feel safe discussing their challenges and needs openly. Honest conversations break down barriers and foster a supportive culture. 🌱 Establish wellness initiatives: Form a dedicated wellness committee to integrate resources that promote mental health awareness and support. Empower your team to prioritize self-care. 🤝 Foster peer support: Encourage teamwork and peer connections to create a supportive community within your organization. Together, we can overcome challenges. 🎯 Lead by example: By far my favorite, and arguably the most important. Demonstrate leadership commitment to employee well-being. Your actions set the tone for the entire organization. 🔍 Invest in training: Equip your team with Mental Health First Aid at Work training. Empower them to recognize and respond to mental health challenges effectively. Let's all work to prioritize employee well-being and build a resilient workforce for all! 💪 #EmployeeWellness #Resilience #MentalHealthMatters #WorkplaceWellbeing