The official theme for Mental Health Awareness Week 2023 is anxiety. Anxiety comes in many shapes and forms and affects people in different ways. As workplace well-being experts at ifeel, we have witnessed how anxiety affects employees and its consequences on their mental health, performance, and productivity. Keep reading to discover what anxiety does to employees, how to tackle it, and tips for companies during Mental Health Awareness Week 2023.
Resources for HR Managers for Mental Health Awareness Week 2023:
Here’s a list of useful resources you can use as an HR Manager during Mental Health Awareness Week 2023:
- How to prevent burnout at work
- How to identify work-related stress
- Wellness Action Plan
- Psychosocial Risk Factors Template
Mental Health Awareness Week 2023
Anxiety is a natural bodily response that arises in order to help us adjust to certain situations, in this case, at work. It’s something that we will likely experience again in the future. The key is understanding why it happens, managing it, and acknowledging when it becomes excessive and requires professional support.
Similar to stress, a little bit of anxiety is not necessarily harmful. Our bodies need a certain level of pressure to function and possess the necessary mechanisms to activate, complete the tasks that need to be done, and then settle enough to continue with whatever needs to be done. If we lack motivation, fail to involve ourselves with anything, or struggle to get out of bed, everything will move at a sluggish pace.
However, our internal mechanisms do not function as intended – some become loose, others too tight, and even some may become lost. At this point, our pattern of activation and deactivation becomes ineffective and instead creates difficulties. As a result, many individuals are turning to online resources for assistance in managing anxiety in their personal and professional lives.
Companies must take an active role throughout the year to implement the necessary tools and resources for employees to use to tackle issues such as anxiety. However, Mental Health Awareness Week 2023 is a good opportunity to highlight the importance of this date and implement activities such as workshops or hand out tools for employees to be aware that they have their companies’ support.
Mental health awareness week 2023: ways to tackle anxiety
Dealing with anxiety is difficult; employees need the right tools and support to tackle this issue with professional help. According to Statista, “In 2021/22, the number of workers reporting work-related stress, depression or anxiety in Great Britain was approximately 914,000 compared with 823,000 in the previous year”.
Companies should implement a workplace well-being program as part of the people and talent strategy to prevent mental health issues such as anxiety arising from in the first place. However, if this is not the case, you can always use ifeel’s emotional well-being program for companies. In the meantime, here are a few ways you can battle anxiety:
1. Implement healthy habits
We must remember that anxiety doesn’t vanish from one day to another. In fact, it can be a long process for some. However, implementing small changes in our routines and habits and sticking to them can help us.
For example, exercise can be a good way to start. This doesn’t mean going to the gym for an hour a day (especially if we aren’t used to it), but we can start practicing mindfulness, yoga, or meditation for about half an hour daily. We should slowly merge this into our routine and make it part of it before going to sleep or in the morning before we start work. Not sure where to start? Check out our app, which gives you access to meditation and mindfulness techniques.
Another way to help us deal with anxiety is to declutter. Poor organization and uncleanliness can frequently generate significant amounts of anxiety, resulting in persistent stress, worry, or fear of further clutter accumulation. Clearing away the clutter can alleviate this burden and enable our minds to achieve a sense of tranquility, facilitating clearer thinking and a calmer emotional state.
2. Prioritize your tasks
When we have various tasks to complete, we can feel overwhelmed and unsure of where to begin. However, creating a to-do list can be a helpful strategy for managing these feelings and getting things done efficiently.
To start, write down all the tasks you need to complete. Then, prioritize them based on importance. This can help you focus on the most critical tasks first and prevent feeling saturated. As you complete each task, tick it off your list, which can provide a sense of accomplishment and progress.
Moreover, breaking down larger tasks into smaller, manageable tasks can make them less daunting. Additionally, setting realistic deadlines and scheduling time to work on each task can help you stay on track and avoid procrastination.
While making a to-do list may seem like a simple task, it can be an effective tool for increasing productivity, reducing anxiety, and achieving our objectives efficiently. By taking the time to prioritize and organize our tasks, we can approach our responsibilities with a clear mind and a sense of purpose.
3. Take breaks when needed
Taking breaks throughout the day is essential to maintaining good mental and physical health. We can become tired, stressed, and unproductive when we work for long periods without taking breaks. To combat these adverse effects, it’s crucial to incorporate breaks into our daily routines.
It’s important to remember that taking breaks doesn’t have to be time-consuming or complicated. Even a few minutes of rest can benefit mental and physical health. One way to take a break is to go outside for a walk, whether we work at an office or from home. Not only does walking provide an opportunity to get some fresh air and sunlight, but it also helps to clear the mind. A change of scenery can also provide a mental break from work and help to reduce stress and anxiety.
4. Seek professional help
Dealing with anxiety can be challenging, and once it has emerged, it can be even more challenging to overcome. This is why it’s crucial to prioritize emotional well-being from the beginning, especially in the workplace. By implementing an emotional well-being program in the workplace, companies can prevent mental health issues from arising in the first place, and Mental Health Awareness Week 2023 can be a good starting point.
Prioritizing employee well-being benefits the employees and demonstrates the company’s commitment to their mental health. This can help improve the company’s reputation as an employer, making it an attractive workplace for top talent. Companies prioritizing employee well-being are also more likely to have a positive company culture, with employees who feel valued and supported in their roles.
In addition, by implementing an emotional well-being program, companies can reduce the costs associated with mental health issues, such as mental health sick leave, turnover, and low productivity.
We hope you found this post about Mental Health Awareness Week 2023 interesting. If you would like more information about ifeel’s emotional well-being service for companies, simply get in touch, and we will contact your team as soon as possible.
