Winter can be a particularly difficult time for dealing with mental health.
Although it’s not the case that mental health magically gets better in the summer, the colder, darker months of the year can be a difficult season. People often find the ‘happiest time of the year’, also known as Christmas, is also the most stressful too. If yours is an industry with a seasonal demand peak in winter, it can put staff under a lot of pressure.
In addition to this, you have fewer hours of sunlight interfering with our body clocks and research is looking into the impact this may have on serotonin levels.
The cold and need for bulkier clothing make us less active and less likely to go outside which affects healthier workplace habits such as lunchbreaks walks. It’s much easier to stay at your workstation than layer up and face the cold. And while a box of chocolates – or a mince pies – is seen as an acceptable way to say thanks to a team it also contributes to the natural urge to stay inside and keep warm!
Like so many seasonal things, mental health is for life and not just for Christmas. However, it can be the most challenging time to make it part of an integrated year-round approach to well-being. So, what do you do to make your workplace a location that supports mental health rather than paying lip service during this challenging season?
Seasonal Pressures
Knowing the size and shape of any issue is always a good place to start. Cary out a seasonal risk assessment and include a stress risk assessment. This will give you an idea of what is expected and allow you to come up with a plan to mitigate it, but it requires staff to be on board from the start. Feedback from employees will be the way you know if your efforts are paying off.
So, speak regularly to staff members to see how they are and the pressures they are experiencing. Depending on your workplace culture they may feel uncomfortable saying no to escalating demands and worry that they are letting people down. This year with money worries about the cost of living on so many minds they may also not want to be heard to complain in case it affects their future job prospects.
Removing the stigma
Don’t overlook those who appear not to be engaged in the process. A poor state of mental wellbeing, particularly depression, can result in low energy, being withdrawn and an inability to concentrate. These are easy traits to overlook in winter.
Asking for help is often a difficult thing to do. A starting point is to make it known that your workplace is supportive of positive mental health and that support is there for any employee who needs it. Offering access to courses such as our ‘Mental Health Training in the Workplace’ shows your support, introduces expertise and influences the culture. It goes the staff the message that everyone in the organisation should support each other and that there is no stigma in asking for help.
Planning for good mental health
This time of year is often a time for planning whether for the new year or the new financial year. In the same way that a risk assessment will be included in your new activities add in a mental health impact factor.
Think widely about what might help staff with well-being during the winter months. Mental health days? An occasional company-wide day off mid-week to let staff recover during busy times? Or one in the colder, darker months of the year to give them something to look forward to?
Changing the workplace culture isn’t easy and winter can be a difficult time. Stick with it and see what a difference you can make both to the workforce as a whole and to individuals. We’re here to help if you need support with training, assessments or putting support in place.
