Mental hygiene and the workplace

“By mental hygiene was meant the maintenance of that state of health in which the human being could respond normally to the calls made upon him by daily life. It was as important to every man as the sanitation of his home.”

This was nearly a century ago. To think that, since then, we’ve eradicated polio and have developed treatments for tetanus, tuberculosis and shingles, held two world wars, walked the moon and seen the USSR come and go really puts things into perspective. Medically, our knowledge and understanding of mental health has improved. But in practice, things have certainly not advanced as much as space travel has. And this is where the workplace has some serious catching up to do.

Why is mental health hygiene important in the workplace?

Mental health shouldn’t be seen as a ‘perk’. No one advertises health and safety as such. Prevention is as relevant to psychological distress as it is to physical pain. And that’s exactly what mental hygiene is. It’s all of the measures taken to promote and to preserve mental health. After all, “health” isn’t just lack of illness. “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

How can employers improve mental hygiene in the workplace?

Work, and particularly unsustainable working practices, can take a toll on people. The list below is by no means exhaustive — but hopefully it can serve as a good starting point to reflect on the steps businesses can take to improve the wellbeing of their teams.

1. Remove unnecessary pressures

Does your team have to be in the office at 9am, on the dot? Does your team have to be in the office five days a week? Research shows there’s a direct link between wellbeing and commute length/exposure to rush hour. Employers can do much more to minimise these types of stresses.

2. Show (genuine) concern for overtime

Studies have linked overtime to increased odds of experiencing major depressive episodes. It’s ok to have a busy week, and it’s ok to be so fascinated with a project that you don’t want to get away. But putting in hours of overtime every day shouldn’t become a habit. In some businesses, or even whole industries, overtime has become almost epidemic. So much so that a sense of competitive tiredness exists amongst colleagues. There’s no benefit to that. 

3. Enable the conversation

15% of employees that disclosed a mental health issue faced disciplinary procedures, demotion or dismissal. Over half of employees don’t feel comfortable talking about mental health issues at work. And only one in 10 employees who experienced a mental health problem actually disclosed it to a line manager.

4. Train team leads

It’s their responsibility to look after their teams — but businesses need to equip them with the tools to do so. Less than a quarter of managers have received training in mental health. Most HR companies now offer mental health training.

5. Create great jobs — not just a good workplace

Challenge your employees and reward their great work — actively take part in making sure their job gives back to them as much as they give to the business.

6. Do more about work-life balance

Every person has a personal life — and fitting it around work can be unnecessarily difficult. Businesses shouldn’t wait for employees to come to them. Aligning work and personal life should be a part of onboarding.

7. Look after culture

Generally, work is made up of two things: a job, and a workplace. Team dynamics can seriously impact mental wellbeing, so its important to take a proactive approach to resolving clashes and negative behaviour; fostering a constructive and positive work environment.

8. Make use of new technology

Thousands of organisations are creating technology to improve wellbeing. At Rotageek, for example, we’re creating tech that fairly schedules staff. It’s particularly important because shift workers are at a significant risk of developing mental and physical health problems.

We’ve definitely come a long way, but I’m certain there’s so much more around prevention that can be done — especially by companies. Getting this right means workers can benefit from an improved work-life balance, which ultimately delivers a better motivated, engaged and retained workforce. So really, if we need to look at it from an ROI point of view, this is a no-brainer.

Let’s keep the conversation going. And let’s not get too comfortable with a reactive approach to mental health.