Most break rooms are an afterthought in the office planning process, but simply creating a space for employees to take a break isn’t enough. Update your office break room with more comfortable furniture, meditation pillows, a diffuser, herbal tea, healthier snacks, relaxation books, and other items to help create a space for your team to zen out. If you have the luxury of extra space, use another small room as a quiet zone away from employees that love to chat. Ask your employees what items or features they want so they can get involved in the planning phase, then enjoy the big reveal on World Mental Health Day.
The stigma surrounding mental health is still very real even in modern workplaces, and World Mental Health Day is an excellent opportunity to help the employees of your company know more about mental health. One of the best ways to do this is to invite a speaker from the mental health space to talk to employees about their mental health and even leave them with ideas on how to take care of their minds. Team members will appreciate this company initiative and learn quite a lot with a professional covering specific aspects that impact them most.
One way to celebrate World Mental Health Day with your team is finding a way to unplug from work and encourage real down time. Mixing departments is always refreshing and it allows people who don;t usually mix to get to know each other a little better. Sitting across from someone in a cubicle or office makes it easier. Crossing floors, taking lifts, different buildings etc can create barriers. Try and choose a time in the day where employees can come together to get to know one another by asking about their favorite hobbies, movies, or season! A great way to celebrate World Mental Health Day is by allowing employees to know you care. Don't forget about remote workers too. They can feel left out so make sure they have their own, or you tie them in on group phone calls with the team
Art is a powerful tool in celebrating Mental Health Day in the workplace. Creating art with the team is an excellent stress reliever. We plan to open a creation station for an entire week in the office, giving our team access to arts and crafts tools, painting and drawing courses, and screenings of art documentaries. Our remote teams can also enjoy these art-focused activities through art kits sent to their homes, which include canvases, paint, and coloring materials, and encourage them to present their work by the end of the week. We will display all the art produced during the week on our Slack channel for them to view and appreciate at any time.
One way to celebrate World Mental Health Day with your team is to have a conversation about mental health. This can be a great opportunity to learn more about your team members' experiences and to offer support to each other. You can also use this time to brainstorm ways to reduce stress in the workplace and to make your workplace more supportive of mental health. Finally, you can use this day to raise awareness about mental health in general and to help reduce the stigma around mental illness.
World Mental Health Day is a perfect opportunity to commit to the mental health of your employees and adopt a formal company policy to this effect. Adopting a policy is impactful as it drives real-time solutions towards achievable goals and sets the tone for implementing changes on the ground. In a world that is steadily waking up to the benefits of giving mental health the attention it deserves, this is a perfect way to show your team members how your company cares about its employees.
Mental health is only beginning to be a part of the conversation, and companies have yet to give this aspect of one's health the importance it deserves. You can push the envelope in your own way by introducing dedicated and paid time-offs for the mental health of your employees alone. For one, this will help you reiterate your commitment to your team members' good health, both physical and mental. Secondly, the availability of PTOs will also encourage employees to take the mental health break their mind deserves.
Organize a hike or a sports activity with the team. Choose something that boosts team communication and spirit while encouraging them to move around. Exercise is a great way to boost mental health, and with many employees’ hectic schedules, it can be hard to work that in. Walks in nature, a basketball game or a soccer game can all be great ideas. An outdoor activity also exposes employees to fresh air and sunshine which can help to boost mood, especially if your team works in an office with fewer windows.
The work-life balance has become a consistent struggle during the pandemic as employees are working harder and extending their hours beyond the typical 9-5 workday. This can lead to mistakes in presentations or larger tasks at hand, in addition to employee burnout later down the road. Mental health days are put in place for a reason. No business wants to see their staff stressed and anxious while completing their work, and a simple reset day can extremely help employees and create a positive work environment.
Chief Operating Officer at Big Heart Toys
Answered 4 years ago
For World Mental Health Day, we're celebrating by taking a break! Our entire office will be finishing the day an hour early in order to promote self-care and work-life balance. There should be no social stigma around the limitations that anxiety and depression put on workers, and 10th October is the international day to recognize that. We want to emphasize work-life balance, positivity, growth mindset, and healthy coping, so we're on top of that extra time to breathe, we're offering employees education and resources to manage their mental health needs.
It has been difficult for workers to strike a balance between their employment and maintaining their mental health in today's busy society. World Mental Health Day is an excellent opportunity to get involved in a charitable endeavour. This won't just be something you do as part of your "social wellbeing" campaign. You will be able to relate to social issues, which will encourage workers to have thankfulness and humility. It will also be a fantastic CSR activity that can assist companies in gaining more market credibility and trust. You could drive up to your neighbourhood beach and pick up trash there, or you could send the office staff to a nearby community school to educate. Such efforts inspire staff to stay associated with the organization for a longer period of time.
There is no better way to honor and support those struggling with mental health than to raise money for a charity of your choice through a team bonding activity. This could include something physical like a marathon, or something entirely different everyone could participate in and contribute to. With mental health being as big of an issue as it is today, every company is bound to have employees who will either directly or indirectly appreciate the forward thinking contributions and overall message your company sets.
Devote the day to discussions around mental health. A great way to celebrate World Mental Health day on October 10th is to take the whole day to talk about mental health with your team. Open up the conversation with all your employees and ask them to be a part of the decision-making process on how your company better supports mental health. By doing this, you’re talking openly about mental health, educating yourselves, problem-solving effectively, sharing stories, and normalizing the mental health conversation. Take the whole day to educate and come together around mental health as a team, and start on the 11th to make your workplace and healthier and more supportive environment.
Mental health awareness is becoming more and more prevalent in society as people become more open to discussing mental health issues. As a result, many organizations are hosting panels and discussions on the topic in order to help further educate people about mental health. On October 10th, one of these organizations, Mental Health America (MHA), generally host a panel discussion called “Celebrating World Mental Health Day”. The goal of this panel discussion is to celebrate the day by discussing how different cultures around the world view and deal with mental health issues. The panel will also discuss ways that we can all work together to improve mental health awareness and education globally. This event promises to be both informative and inspiring, and would be a great way for any team to celebrate World Mental Health Day. As a team you can attend such events
We all know that exercise is good for our physical health, but it can also do wonders for our mental well-being. Getting your team together for a group fitness class or lunchtime walk on World Mental Health Day is a great way to show them that you care about their health and wellbeing and that you’re committed to creating a workplace culture that supports it.
An excellent way to celebrate World Mental Health Day is to let our team members send a letter addressed to themselves where they genuinely and openly communicate how they feel. This era of technological dominance has made us more vulnerable to mental health problems and even virtually assume a fake version of ourselves. Yet, there's an inadequate outlet to express what we genuinely feel — no avenue to release stress, sadness, and other negative emotions. Putting these feelings honestly into writing that one addresses to themselves can be a cathartic release of negative emotions, a way to let go of our made-up self and be vulnerable for once. The World Mental Health Day is the time to show that we're not always happy and okay, but we can push through.
One of the best ways to celebrate World Mental Health Day with your team is by having a mental health check-in. This is when everyone takes a few minutes to share how they’re feeling, what challenges they’re experiencing, and what they need from the team to help them feel better. This is a great way to build a culture of openness and support. It also helps the team better understand its members and how to better support them. This is of course not the kind of thing that you should only do on World Mental Health Day, but if you don't already do these kinds of check-ins, doing one for this special day can be a great way to show your team that you care about their mental health.
We are set to hold a CSR activity to celebrate World Mental Health Day. We believe that volunteering—at a rehabilitation center, a nursing home, or a support group, can help boost employee wellness. Spending a day together outside the office could relieve my team of their workload concerns and lower their stress levels. Likewise, assisting those in need could bring our employees a sense of purpose and a better appreciation for opportunities within their reach.
Celebrate by sending random kindness messages to every employee. You can nominate one team member to organize it. Said employee is responsible for making sure everyone receives a message. Each staff member sends one note of encouragement to another staff member. It’s important to let people know that they matter and are valued and cared for at the company, especially in remote environments where feeling lonely or unimportant can be an issue. Honor the day by uplifting your team!
When World Mental health Day arrives, consider taking the opportunity to brainstorm ideas with your team to raise awareness. Determine that, as a leader, you'll pay attention to potential burnout or other challenges, as well as offer flexible time off to accommodate the need for much-needed breaks and days away from the office. Doing so will also help boost both your employee engagement and retention.