Six ways to support the mental well-being of your team
Regardless of the industry, every job has its stressors. From excessive workloads and tight deadlines to conflicts with colleagues there are lots of reasons why people experience burnout and mental health issues.
The added challenge in the third sector is charity work, by nature, can be upsetting and mentally draining. Throw in the impact of the pandemic and you’ve got a plethora of reasons to make mental well-being a top priority in the work-place.
Here are six steps you can take to improve the mental well-being of your staff:
1. Find out what support your staff need
If you don’t have a mental health strategy in place, before implementing anything, you need to develop a clear picture of the current mental health of your organisation.
The easiest way to do this is with a mental health survey. This will help you to (among other things) understand the factors that affect your employee’s mental health and identify what they need to feel supported.
It doesn’t have to be complicated. There’s a great resource on Mind’s website that’ll help you take stock of mental health across your workplace, and put a plan of action together.
2. Talk openly about mental health
Creating a culture of understanding and openness can help employees feel comfortable talking about mental health issues. Leaders and managers should make sure staff and volunteers know their wellbeing matters to them. You can do this by:
Talking openly about the importance of mental health and wellbeing in staff meetings.
Providing information to staff and volunteers about mental health and wellbeing and the support available.
Modelling behaviours that support mental health and wellbeing, such as a good work-life balance, active listening and compassion.
Supporting line managers and volunteer managers to have conversations about mental health and wellbeing with those they manage.
Dedicating resources to supporting your organisation’s work in this area.
3. Invest in Mental Health First Aid training
Chances are you have a trained first aider and fire marshal in your office, but do you have a mental health first aider? If not, it’s worth considering.
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is an internationally recognised training course, designed to teach people how to spot the signs and symptoms of mental ill health and provide help on a first aid basis. In the same way as learning physical first aid, MHFA teaches people how to recognise the warning signs and feel confident to guide someone to appropriate support.
A number of organisations offer mental health first aid training. The courses vary in duration, format, and cost.
Here are a few options.
4. Implement an Employee Assistance Programme
An employee assistance program (EAP) provides confidential counselling to staff to help with personal or workplace problems that are affecting their mental wellbeing. While they can be accessed for any issue a worker may have, they’re often used as a way of helping employees deal with the effects of anxiety, stress, and depression.
In the face of long NHS waiting lists, this is a good way for your staff to get the support they need before things escalate (if your budget allows).
Find out more about EAP’s here.
5. Incorporate mindful meditation into the working day
Meditation is an age-old practice renowned for its physical and psychological benefits, such as reducing blood pressure, anxiety, and stress. So why not incorporate it into the working day?
Make a point of educating staff about the benefits of meditation, on the intranet and in team meetings. Encourage them to take meditation breaks as and when they need to.
There are loads of apps dedicated to mental wellbeing - Headspace, Be Mindful, Calm for business, and Shine Offline to name a few.
Take it a step further by building time into the working week for group meditation sessions.
There’s lots of advice and free resources (including a meditation script for leaders) on the Mindfulness Exercises website.
6. Ensure you have enough staff
Understaffing can have a major impact on employee’s physical and mental health.
If you’re short on numbers, inevitably, others will end up picking up the slack. We’re not saying your employees are shy of a hard day’s work, but if they’re overstretched for too long, it will soon take a toll – especially if workloads were already tight.
With stress comes tension. If employees are feeling the heat, it can put a strain on relationships with colleagues, resulting in disputes, job dissatisfaction and ultimately, staff absences.
No-one wants that, so it’ll pay to ensure you have enough bodies to do get the work done.
This is where we come in. At Bamboo, we fill fundraising roles with experienced fundraising professionals. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 or email info@bamboofundraising.co.uk to find out we can help.