More than ever, emotional health at work has become a widespread issue among employees, especially during the period of isolation due to the pandemic, in which feelings of fear and uncertainty have taken over the world’s population.
That’s because companies understand that they are made by people, and without employees, they don’t exist. Therefore, so that productivity is not affected and the yield is always high, care for human capital is essential.
In this way, HR plays a fundamental role in ensuring the mental well-being of all those involved, seeking to offer longevity and prosperity to the company. To learn more about the subject and understand how to make the work environment more pleasant, check the text until the end. Good reading!
What is emotional health?
Emotional average health insurance is related to the ability to control psychic reactions, that is, to direct one’s emotions. Thus, the individual can better deal with day-to-day issues and, consequently, improve the feeling of well-being.
Some feelings are normal in routines, such as anxiety, stress, and sadness; after all, different situations trigger different feelings, there is no escape. The problem is in the way they are managed, and they start to get out of control, hindering performance in personal and professional life.
This can lead to some inconvenience, such as:
- Anxiety;
- Sadness;
- Stress;
- Excessive tiredness;
- Insomnia;
- Low concentration and performance.
Thus, we can say that emotional health is related to the perception that the person has of himself and his feelings.
What is the difference between emotional health and mental health?
The two concepts may seem synonymous, but believe me, they are not. Emotional health, as stated in the paragraph above, is about the person’s state of mind, while mental health involves the brain and neurological issues.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines mental health as “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively, and is able to make a contribution to your community.”
Thus, everyday feelings such as euphoria, anger, and sadness are related to emotions. The disorders triggered by the lack of control of these feelings, such as depression and anxiety, are related to mental health.
Despite being different, the two are closely linked, as if one doesn’t go well, the other won’t either. That’s because those who have problems with mental health will certainly have problems controlling their emotions as well.
In both cases, the symptoms are similar: there is a lack of interest in performing activities that previously gave you pleasure, as well as constant irritation and insomnia. In professional life, the lack of motivation is constant, in addition to the low concentration to perform the activities that are part of the routine.
How important is emotional health at work?
Happy and motivated employees are essential to maintaining a good organizational climate in the company, in addition to preserving above-average performance. This is a significant reason to be mindful of emotional health at work.
Happy employees are the cornerstone of a successful organization!
In addition, people spend a large part of the day at the workplace, living with colleagues more than with family members, in some situations. Therefore, any discomfort in this environment can affect both the quality of professional activities and the individual’s personal life.
To confirm, just look at the data. In 2020 alone, more than 285,000 people applied for sick leave and were removed from their activities due to the most common work-related illnesses: depression and anxiety.
The trend is that this number will increase as a result of the pandemic. Therefore, companies must be attentive to the behavior of their employees and need to be prepared to deal with these situations in the best possible way, showing empathy and respect for the health and quality of life of the team.
How can companies contribute to emotional health at work?
Companies play a key role in maintaining the emotional health of their employees. For this, there are several attitudes that can be adopted and will bring great results. Find out how to promote them in your company.
Offer corporate benefits
Corporate benefits are essential when it comes to ensuring well-being, quality of life at work, and a good relationship between company and employee. The main objective is to provide access to a service that has a positive impact, facilitating access to health care, food, and leisure.
Therefore, it is important to be attentive to the needs of each one and offer benefits that make sense and, in fact, improve the routine of each one. Corporate health plans, such as Valem’s, are very well accepted by employees since, in an epidemic scenario, physical and mental health care has never been more necessary.
Do a weather survey.
Having a pleasant organizational climate is a key part of maintaining emotional health at work. A team that gets along well will have better performance, more effective communication, trust among colleagues, and no conflict.
To find out if your company’s organizational climate is adequate, following the Valem Climate Survey template is important to:
- Identify problems and points for improvement;
- Develop a pleasant working environment;
- Measure the degree of satisfaction and motivation of employees;
- Collect varied information about the team’s perspective.
The ideal is to apply it at least twice a year, analyze the responses carefully and think of improvement strategies for implementation.
Physical health is also important.
Even hitting the mental health key all the time, we can’t leave physical health in the background. Companies need their healthy employees to do a good job, don’t they?
For this, there are small attitudes that can be implemented by the company to establish an organizational culture focused on worker health, such as:
- Provide good health and dental plans;
- Encourage the exchange of the elevator for the stairs;
- Encourage water consumption by offering water bottles as a gift;
- Offer seasonal fruits;
- Provide a space for rest and leisure;
- Encourage physical activity;
- Provide suitable equipment for good workplace posture and other ergonomics issues.
That way, we can say that prevention is always better than cure, right? So trying to minimize any employee health issues with actions can be very effective, takes less time, and is less painful.
Encourage moments of relaxation.
Companies are getting more and more on happy hours for the many benefits they provide for employees and the company in general. This is because they are important events that bring the team together, improve the organizational climate and increase employee motivation.
A breakout room with video games and other activities can be a great way to improve employees’ emotional health.
In addition, they help employees disconnect from the heavy lifting and relax a little, so they don’t become mentally drained, tired and nervous – which can end up compromising productivity and performance at work.
What are the benefits of investing in emotional health at work?
Now there is no doubt that emotional health at work must be up to date, and it is the company’s duty to ensure a healthy work environment. This is because this practice provides individual, group, and organizational benefits.
The advantages do not stop there. So, check out why you have an emotionally healthy team:
- Your employees will be more aware of their emotions;
- Interpersonal relationships will be constructive and respectful;
- There will be more flexibility for dialogue, improving communication;
- More engagement and incentive for collective results;
- Increase in productivity.
Both the company and the employees only gain by encouraging emotional health at work. Therefore, give the necessary attention to this issue and value the most precious asset that exists in the organization!
Did you like this content? So, check out other articles on our blog and learn how to value your employees by offering the best corporate benefit in the health segment!
