THE REAL TALK BLOG
tools & tips for HOW TO have effective conversations ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH AT WORK
Why Good Role Rodeling Matters for Workplace Mental Health Conversations.
It can be tough to be the first one to set an example for others, especially inside the workplace. But often, all it takes is one person with the right message at the right time to spark a fire and get people to pay attention. In this post, learn about how to role model when it comes to mental health in the workplace.
Mental Health at Work: Leading with Compassion While Promoting Employee Accountability.
Encouraging accountability while maintaining compassion is important for every workplace. Understanding what taking personal responsibility means and how to encourage it in employees who struggle with their mental health can go a long way toward helping them feel supported and cared about by their employer, while understanding the individual responsibility they have to speak up for, manage, and prioritize taking care of their mental health - even (and especially) at work.
Why Every Business Should Have a Mental Health Days Policy.
Mental health days are becoming more common as people realize they're not alone when dealing with mental health struggles. In fact, many companies have already started implementing them. Find out why these days are so important and what you should do if you haven’t taken one yet.
5 Tips for Talking to Your Boss or HR About Your Mental Health at Work.
When you're struggling with stress or other mental health struggles, it can be hard to know where to turn when it comes to the workplace. But there are ways to get the support you need in order to feel supported, psychologically safe, and productive at work. In this article, I'll share some tips on talking to your boss or HR department about your mental health.
Could Your “Baggage" Be Affecting Your Relationships at Work?
You may be carrying around emotional baggage from past traumatic experiences and not even realize it. Learn how to work through these issues so they don't affect your job performance or relationship with your co-workers.
Job Anxiety - Is It You Or the Gig?
Work-related anxiety is something that affects many people. It’s not just about being stressed out or feeling anxious about work. There are some specific signs that could indicate there may be more going on. Read this article to find out if it’s you or the job.
How to Cope With Going Back to the Office During the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Going back to the office during Covid? Are you ready to go back to the office after working from home for over two years? You're not alone if you don't know where to start. Read on for tips from mental health experts who understand (and have studied) what you’re going through.
The Roe v. Wade Overturn: What Will Impact Our Mental Health Next?
As we move forward from the Roe vs Wade decision, there are several areas where we may see further legal challenges that will impact peoples’ rights and how they live their daily lives. How should employers respond when employees experience angst and mental health struggles as a result of these changes?
Intergenerational Conversations About Mental Health at Work.
There are 5 generations of employees in the workforce today. Yet the gap between them — especially when it comes to mental health — couldn’t be further apart. As companies struggle to address this issue, it’s important to understand why and how differences occur. With a fresh perspective, you can bridge the gap and start a conversation.
Business Leaders: 3 Tips to Improve Your Mental Health at Work Initiatives.
Many companies have in place mental health initiatives for their employees. But how do you know if these initiatives are working? Make sure you’re not slapping band-aids on the problem and understand that people have different comfort levels around the topic. Then check out my 3 tips for getting it back on track.
How the Media Influences Perceptions of Mental Health
Our perceptions of mental health and mental illness are influenced by a number of factors. The media is one of these factors. Whether it’s TV, movies, the news, or social media, it’s part of our daily lives. It often skews our perspectives and doesn’t show the whole picture of an issue. While things are getting better, it’s still up to us to raise awareness and shift the narrative.
How Do Our Life Experiences Shape How We View Mental Health?
There are many ways our life experiences affect our mental health. As an HR or DEI leader, it’s important to acknowledge this because we bring our views and life experiences to work with us. It’s important to consider each person’s unique view so you can open the conversation and create a safe space for everyone.
5 Tips for Leaders: How to Support Struggling Employees Who Don’t Want to Talk.
Since the start of the pandemic, mental health has been at the forefront of workplace conversations. We’re much more aware of its effects and leaders are being more vigilant about checking in with their employees. But what if you decide to check in with someone and it turns out — your employee doesn’t want to talk about their mental health with you. What do you do then? Check out these helpful tips so you can navigate this situation.
4 Useful Tips: How Leaders Can Discuss Mental Health At Work.
There are many reasons company leaders aren’t ready or willing to talk about mental health, publicly or in the workplace. It’s common to avoid such sensitive and complex subjects, but this is a mistake. Mental health and mental illness are workplace topics that are here to stay — and leaders need to adapt and embrace this change. How can they do this? Here are 4 useful tips for leaders to start these mental health conversations.
When Mental Health Conversations Go Badly
Many people hesitate or avoid talking about their mental health at work. Why? Because of the discomfort, fear, or frustration they might feel if the conversation doesn’t go well. But defaulting to conversation avoidance isn’t the solution. Instead, it’s important to understand why these conversations go badly and have some strategies in mind you can fall back on when this happens.
How Social Issues Affect Mental Health at Work
It’s so common for leaders and organizations to avoid talking about social issues at work. They don’t want to rock the boat, cause problems, or say the wrong thing. But this avoidance may actually be doing more harm than good. So instead of practicing conversation avoidance at your company, try to have a meaningful conversation with your colleagues and address the elephant(s) in the room. Here’s how to do that.
How Focusing on our Differences Prevents Supportive Mental Health Conversations.
In today’s world, people are divided on many issues. These differences of opinion cause a host of physical, emotional, and mental reactions, which spills over into the workplace. By focusing on how we’re different from one another, we’re missing the opportunity to connect on an important issue — mental health. But there are ways to have constructive conversations and bridge these divisions.
How Women In Leadership Can Champion Mental Health at Work
As we talk more about mental health at work, it’s important to understand the source of some of the challenges to having these conversations. Gender is one of the most important factors and it has a long history of influence in our society. It’s even led to gender-based emotion shaming, especially toward women. Thankfully, there are some things we can do to combat this behavior and have more constructive conversations.
Understanding Wellbeing Shaming At Work
In the last couple of years during COVID, many people have taken the time to prioritize their mental health. While this has many positive effects, it’s also led to a negative reaction from some — shaming others for taking care of their mental health and wellbeing. This behavior is harmful and must be stopped. Here are a few conversation tips if you encounter wellbeing shaming at the office.
How to Cope With Return-To-Office Delays
It’s the start of 2022, a time when most people hoped to get back into the office. But companies are delaying their plans to return because of the rise of the COVID Omicron variant. Despite the uncertainty of it all, here are tools to help you feel more secure and in control of your emotions.