Your Role in Fostering Workplace Mental Health and Wellbeing
We all contribute to cultivating a mentally healthy workplace and enhancing everyone’s daily experiences at work. While creating systemic change within organisations isn’t solely the burden of individuals, it’s essential to recognise that organisations and systems are comprised of people. Equipping individuals—regardless of their roles—with the knowledge and skills to collectively understand their contributions toward enhancing safety, supporting others, and fostering a culture of inclusion can yield significant positive change.
Building a more positive, fulfilling workplace is a collective responsibility. So, what’s your role? While roles may vary based on positions and organisational contexts, there are common threads in how each person can contribute to creating a safe, healthy, and thriving workplace.
As a leader, your role involves:
Looking after your own health and wellbeing.
Cultivating an environment where your team sees their workplace as a great place to be, a safe space to be, and are encouraged and supported to be the best they can be.
Acknowledging and leveraging the unique strengths, differences, and contributions of each team member.
Leading and supporting your team through challenges.
Encouraging an open culture where team members freely share thoughts and experiences.
As an individual, your role involves:
Looking after your own health and wellbeing.
Looking out for those around you, offering and seeking support when needed.
Being an ally to marginalised coworkers, actively ensuring they feel heard, valued, and respected.
Calling out behaviours or actions that could harm your wellbeing or that of others.
But how do these principles translate into action?
At the organisational level, research indicates that an integrated approach to workplace mental health—focusing on protecting from harm, promoting the positive, and providing support – leads to the greatest outcomes.
Regardless of your workplace’s approach, here are some practical tips to help you fulfil your role and collectively make a positive impact:
1. Strengthen relationships and build trust: Take a moment daily to connect with your people. Initiate meetings with a “check-in question” not only will you learn something new about them, but it’s also a great way to re-focus before diving into agendas.
2. Craft a team value statement: Develop a shared purpose and understanding of behaviours aligned with team values. For example, behaviours aligned with values of trust, respect, and inclusivity might include open communication, accountability, and championing diversity.
3. Organise monthly team lunches: Encourage communal meals and use them as opportunities to celebrate and explore team members’ cultural backgrounds, hobbies, and interests.
4. Foster mentorship: Buddy up experienced team members with newer/younger team members to share skills, insights, and experiences.
For guidance, Aspect Group offers a range of workshops designed to provide staff and leaders with practical evidence-based skills, promoting conversations, reducing stigma, boosting resilience, and cultivating a psychologically healthy workplace culture. Workshops are available as stand-alone sessions or as 4, 6, or 12-month packages.
Mental Health Month Promotion
Elevate Workplace Mental Health: Unlock Savings with Workshop Bundles
During September, new workshop bookings from our Mental Health Matters topics (tailored to your scheduling needs) are eligible for discounted bundled packages:
1. Choose the 4-pack series for a 5% discount
2. Opt for the 6-pack series and enjoy a 10% discount
3. Keep the conversation going all year with a 12-pack series and save 15%
View brochure
What our clients say
“We (NDY) have partnered with Aspect Group for over a year now and our colleagues have found the sessions extremely useful and relevant to what’s going on in the workplace, as well as them personally.
The content is a perfect blend of research/evidence-based material as well as practical experiences that allow our colleagues to really engage with the content and feel they have the necessary tools to support their wellbeing.”
Cassie Axelby, People & Culture Business Partner, Norman Disney & Young
Mix and match workshops to suit the needs of your people
Sample 4-pack series (90mins per session with live QnA)
1. We all have a role to play – Mental Health Month – introducing Mental Health Matters
2. Better Boundaries with a Hybrid Work Focus
3. Sleep, Move, and Breathe Well
4. Resilience and Psychological Safety
Sample 6-pack series
1. We all have a role to play – Mental Health Month – introducing Mental Health Matters
2. Better Boundaries with a Hybrid Work Focus
3. Building Psychological Safety into everyday relationships
4. Sleep, Move, and Breathe Well
5. Mental Mastery – How to Think Well for Resilience and Better Mental Health
6. Practical Mindfulness
Sample 9-pack series
1. We all have a role to play – Mental Health Month – introducing Mental Health Matters (Mental Health and Burnout focus)
2. Better Boundaries with a Hybrid Work Focus
3. Building Psychological Safety into everyday relationships
4. Sleep, Move, and Breathe Well
5. Mental Mastery – How to Think Well for Resilience and Better Mental Health
6. Practical Mindfulness
7. Habit Hacking
8. Resilience in real life
9. Tapping for stress relief – EFT
An example of a 12-pack series that was fully customised for the client’s needs
1. Better Mental Health
2. Supporting Someone with a Mental Health Condition
3. How to say “I’m not ok”
4. Better Sleep
5. Banishing Burnout
6. Practical Mindfulness
7. Mental Mastery
8. Leadership – Team Resilience Masterclass
9. Habit Hacking
10. Relationship Survival Guide during the holiday season
11. Building Your Resilience to Stress
12. Tapping for Stress Relief -EFT