How to Improve Workplace Mental Well-being for Better Performance
By Dr. Gregory H. Bledsoe, Guest Contributor
As a longtime physician and former state surgeon general, I’ve seen how the workplace environment can affect employees’ overall sense of well-being. The toll of everyday stressors at work impact productivity and efficiency, and mental health in general. Fortunately, there are new steps organizations can take to shore up mental well-being now when the need is high.
The issue is so critical that the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, released a framework in 2022 to guide employers on how to improve mental health and well-being of their people. (1)
There’s enormous incentive for organizations to do what they can to bolster mental well-being. As Dr. Murthy notes, “When the mental health of workers suffers, so does workplace productivity, creativity and retention.”
Essential for well-being: connection & community
I’ve reviewed the Surgeon General’s framework and found one of the most powerful recommendations is building community and connections at work—one of five “essentials” upon which the framework is based. (1)
This is critical in my view. For many people, work is one of the top places for forming relationships. How that environment functions greatly affects employees both on and off the job.
The importance of work relationships differs from a couple of generations ago. Then, work was largely just that—work. Now, with many employees living away from extended family and relocating to new communities for their jobs, what happens at work becomes exponentially more important.
Caring and high-performing organizations recognize this. They’re investing in creating environments where people feel connected to others. Belonging is crucial in strengthening mental well-being—especially if people are struggling, which everyone does from time to time.
We all need support
In years’ past, someone coping with everyday stressors might talk to family, friends and even community members who knew them well. Today, a lot of people don’t have that long-standing, trusted network to tap into, so we must create connections in different ways.
That’s where professional peer support can help. Employees benefit from someone who offers a confidential, nonjudgmental, and empathetic ear. Someone who can relate: "Hey, I know the struggle. I've been there too, and I want to help."
Dr. Murthy says when people feel understood, authentic connections are more likely to develop. (4) And deeper workplace belonging contributes to a 56% increase in job performance, a 50% lower turnover risk, and a 75% decrease in employee sick days. (5)
Make it easy to connect
According to the framework, “creating an environment where workers’ voices are supported without fear of job loss or retaliation is an essential component of healthy organizations.”
Employees must feel some level of reassurance in order to share what’s on their minds. Stressed people may be especially reluctant to reach out, so employers can create pathways to foster connection.
A clinical resource isn’t necessarily where people need to start. As a physician, I know doctors or therapists feel threatening to some individuals. Many employees just want someone to listen and take them seriously.
Preclinical peer support can be much less intimidating than going to the doctor. And importantly, the option to connect with a peer who's walked a similar road increases the likelihood that someone will actually take steps to discuss their concerns.
For mental well-being, a preclinical touchpoint is also valuable because it helps avoid reflexively sending people to a doctor, particularly if the employee doesn’t want or need clinical intervention.
Peer support: a logical first step
I see preclinical peer support as a form of triage. Peer support resources provide direct help. They also refer users to other resources or specialists as needed.
The quick access peer support offers is useful, too. Rather than waiting weeks for a therapist appointment, peer support makes human-to-human connections quickly.
Nearly all the people who use Kindly Human peer support—97%—report feeling better after talking to a Peer Listener. (6) Almost two-thirds (63%) say they feel less isolated. (6)
As the Surgeon General’s framework points out: “Workers manage daily stress that affects their health and organizational performance.”
A growing range of tools like professional peer support can help lower the impact of everyday stressors while creating meaningful connections, benefiting both employees and their workplaces.
To learn more about peer support for your organization, schedule a demo today.
References
1. https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/workplace-mental-health-well-being.pdf
2. Mind Share Partners. (2021). 2021 Mental health at work report—the stakes have been raised. https://www.mindsharepartners.org/mentalhealthatworkreport-2021
3. Mental Health America. (2022). Mind the workplace survey. Retrieved from: https://www.mhanational.org/mind-workplace
4. https://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2017/10/07/vivek-murthy-how-to-solve-the-work-loneliness-epidemic-at-work/?sh=446171427172
5. https://grow.betterup.com/resources/the-value-of-belonging-at-work-the-business-case-for-investing-in-workplace-inclusion-event
6. Kindly Human book of business, 2021-2022.
