We've written this blog with the aim of giving employers an idea of how beneficial focusing on employee mental health and wellbeing can be, not only for job satisfaction but also for productivity and morale within the office. Along with some wellbeing & mental health-focused gift ideas!

In the corporate world, there is still a slight divide in corporate structure, which makes it hard to manage expectations of performance with the mental struggles that come with working in a corporate environment and living in this period of time.

How important is focusing on employee mental health?

The corporate world of the past had a tendency to be relatively ruthless when it comes to managing employee mental health issues. However, the ‘get over it, and crack on’ attitude towards mental health issues is slowly changing – this shift in attitude is crucial. Without taking the time to acknowledge employee mental health properly there can be a huge drift in focus and loyalty from employees, and losing that sense of togetherness in the workplace can be detrimental to a business.

How can you take the pressure off of people struggling to keep up mentally?

There are many ways you can help ease the pressure off of someone struggling with mental health – it is your responsibility to adapt your wellbeing strategy so that they maintain their value within the team. This is also a great start when it comes to aiding issues because working as a team to ease some of the pressures people may be facing will make easing their symptoms a lot less stressful. Here are a few ways you can help someone struggling:

Flexible working

A common stressor in the workplace is having to show up to an office 5 days a week, and this expectation is changing! Ensure employees are allowed a bit of flexibility of where they work from some of the time if possible.

Encourage open conversations about mental health

Sometimes the feeling your job may be at risk for talking about struggling can really increase the stress of having a lapse in good mental health. Make sure people are comfortable talking about mental health in the office and that there is no stigma in the air.

Make the physical workspace friendlier

Working in a dark office cubicle is bound to cause damage to a person's mental state. You should make an effort to improve or maintain a happy physical space for people to work from.

Relaxing absence rules

A lack of leniency when it comes to time off due to mental health is a huge cause of stress for those struggling. If someone can call in sick for a cold, perhaps it's time to start realising that mental and physical health can be similar to deal with in many situations, and time off to help recover for a bit should be acceptable.

Extra help with workload

Sometimes a large workload can be a catalyst for a mental struggle. Make it a point that people can spread their workload if it's just becoming unrealistic to keep up with.

Those are a few ideas to get you started. You can also check out this resource provided by mind.co.uk for a more in-depth look at how you can support staff that may be struggling:

https://www.mind.org.uk/media-a/4661/resource4.pdf

Corporate mental health gift ideas

We think applying the more fundamental steps is crucial to succeeding with mental health support within your wellbeing strategy. However, we also think that gifts are a fantastic way to compliment those fundamentals with a bit of fun. Our wellbeing-focused care packages can be really effective at showing employees they’re valued and help improve employee mental health!

Here are a few gift ideas, all of which can be added to our Brown Paper Package gift boxes:

Candles

Candles can be a great way to help someone relax. A lot of the time when someone is struggling, relaxing can become a much more difficult thing to do. We think candles are a great way to assist the process! Check out these St. Eval candles that can be put into our Brown Paper Package gift boxes.

Chocolate

Chocolate is a simple but effective gift. In moderation, chocolate is a great mood lifter and goes great in our Brown Paper Packages. Check out these Raw Halo bars – They’re delicious (and vegan!)

Tea

Tea is the ultimate hot drink to destress – and these teas from tea pigs and tea rex do just that!

Wellness Books

Wellness books, when curated properly can be a massive help when it comes to understanding your mind and how to stay positive. Luckily we’ve done the curating for you and our site is filled with great wellness books that are bound to help someone who needs a bit of a life lift. Check out this Self Care Journal!

Aromatherapy Products

Aromatherapy is an essential element of relaxation. Nothing is quite as calming as some nice smells, and these gifts provide that calming effect flawlessly. Another great gift to put in a box focused on helping someone who’s having a mentally taxing time. Check out these aromatherapy bath salts and aromatherapy tea tree soap!

Conclusion

To conclude, we think it’s unequivocally important to focus on the mental health of employees. Particularly in this current corporate climate and state of the world in general! Taking the time to develop and improve your wellbeing strategy is essential if you want to see your business continue to succeed and your employees to thrive within it.