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Mental health has gained relevance in the past decades, especially after the recent pandemic. According to Frontiers and recent studies, mental health is an important indicator of job satisfaction and thus productivity.

Managers begin to realize that employee mental health is the key to acquiring and retaining talent. Corporations invest effort, money, and time into hiring the best employees. Even when it's clear that employee mental health must be preserved, it can be challenging to meet this goal. This article aims to review how to do it.

How to Improve Employee Mental Health

1 Work-Life Balance

Although a career is a large part of one's identity, life is more than working 9-5 and getting a promotion. Having a good job is vital for mental health, as it boosts autonomy and self-esteem. But work-life balance is also a must.

Employees, especially young ones, pay close attention to the work-life balance your company offers. If the pressure is too high or they can't disconnect from work on the weekends, they may be inclined to apply to competitors.

Your corporation should aim to have flexible schedules that don't lead to burnout. Here are some tips to achieve this as a manager:

• Don't encourage extra hours
• Set time blocks for each task
• Allow regular breaks
• Allow a long break for lunch
• Set realistic expectations for each day/week/quarter

2 Offer Flexibility

Although most companies have strict 9-5 schedules, it's crucial to consider your employee's needs. 

Did someone just come back from maternity leave? You can reduce their work hours for the first 3-6 months. Is someone close to an employee in the hospital? Allow them to go visit and take a few personal days off.

It makes a great difference when workers feel respected and listened to. Feeling acknowledged can lead to more autonomy, independence, and a sense of belonging, which can boost productivity and results.

3 Encourage Healthy Eating

A poor physical condition negatively affects mental health, and we're not exclusively talking about food. Getting regular sleep, staying hydrated, and regularly exercising are all crucial to maintaining good physical and mental health.

However, healthy eating is also an important factor, and corporations can actively influence it. One example is to avoid offering snacks high in sugar in the workplace. Replacing the donuts and cakes with fruit and low-processed snacks is a good first step.

If your company is in charge of employees' lunch, make sure to provide them with healthy, nutritious options. Their health will improve and their brain will function better!

4 Listen to Employees

As above-mentioned, employees perform best when they're listened to and respected. According to Zenefits and plenty of similar studies, listening is crucial to retaining talent and growing as a corporation.

People tend to underestimate the power of communication. When something's wrong or you need help, it's best to speak up – This goes for managers and the workforce. If a significant number of employees have a complaint or suggestion, it may be time to listen.

Employee mental health can benefit immensely from small changes like handing out surveys and questionnaires asking for feedback. These are some examples:

• What do you think can be implemented to boost morale in the workplace?
• What things distract you in the office?
• Are you satisfied with the breaks, or do you think a different schedule could be more beneficial?

5 Build a Company Culture

Company/Business culture is a recent term being used frequently. But how can it help employees feel better and exceed the company's KPIs?

Building a value-based culture leads to a sense of belonging in the company, which is crucial for growth and productivity. According to Psychology, humans have a natural need for social connection and belonging.

Promoting this belonging in a corporation helps employees feel better, as they become part of something bigger. Here are three tips to do so:

• Create common goals: Every company has a clear goal, which is to thrive and grow. But establishing common goals that even entry-level workers can relate to brings everyone to the same page. Examples of common goals may be more social meetings, communication, or becoming more sustainable.
• Recognize achievements: Even small achievements can be game-changers in the long run. Acknowledge employees and their success, and you'll notice a boost in employee mental health and productivity.
• Promote diversity: Equality is becoming a top priority in most corporations. It's good for workers to see everyone is welcomed as long as they're skilled, regardless of their gender, race, or sexual preferences.

6 Mental Health Training

Taking care of one's mental health and practicing mindfulness don't always come naturally to employees. Thus, it's more important than ever to support mental health training in the office.

You can spare one hour a week for seminars or mindfulness activities, for instance. Another example is to offer mental health courses for managers so that they can learn how to interact with employees who are struggling emotionally.

Encouraging and promoting taking care of oneself mentally is one of the best practices companies can implement. Not only will it lead to a happier, more relaxed workforce, but it will also be reflected in the revenue and results.

The Bottom Line

Employees' mental health is more important than it ever. As Psychology progresses and more studies are conducted, the correlation between mental and emotional well-being and job satisfaction is clearer.

Managers and companies can implement small strategies to achieve this satisfaction and thus boost results. Some strategies are encouraging healthy eating in the office, limiting distractions, promoting mindfulness and mental health training, building a positive and inclusive business culture, offering flexible schedules, and actively listening to employees.

And these are only a few examples, as there's always a new strategy or study that shows how to achieve better results. By doing this, you'll continue and advance in improving your company.