What is Emotional Wellbeing at Work?
Emotional wellbeing in the workplace is being recognised as it’s a big determinant of the overall health and wellness of employees. Poor mental health at work can contribute to physical health problems such as cardiovascular conditions, hypertension, and diabetes. Additionally, poor emotional health can lead to burnout and make employees less productive, and engaged, affecting their both personal and professional lives.
Employee emotional wellness is the key to organisational growth, and that’s why it’s important to highlight it. Here we will cover why emotional wellness at work is important, its causes and ways to improve it.
What is Emotional Wellbeing at Work?
Emotional wellbeing in the workplace is the employees’ ability to cope with stress and workload at work. Employees with positive emotional wellbeing can easily handle stressful situations. If emotional wellbeing is suffering then it’s difficult to cope with unexpected events and fail to make the right decisions.
Why is Emotional Wellness at Work Important?
Global analysis firm Gallup found out that 56% of employees are struggling in the workplace around the world. Gallup also tracks a metric “employee engagement”. The engagement of the employees shows the enthusiasm, commitment and dedication level of the employees to their workplace. A high level of engagement has a positive impact on productivity, focus, and overall employee wellbeing.
As per another study by Gallup, it was found that engaged employees can increase profit by 21%. Engagement and employee wellbeing are interlinked. One influences another. When these two factors work together, they can supercharge the workplace where employees are highly motivated, productive and focused. That is why it’s important to take care of your employees' emotional wellness at work.
Relationship Between Employee Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health
Emotional and mental health are not the same. Emotional wellbeing is the way individuals manage and respond to the emotions they are experiencing. An employee with poor emotional wellbeing can have good mental health or vice versa. But how is this possible, right?
Let’s take an example, if an employee is worried about workload, then he/she is experiencing a disturbance to their emotional well-being. The employee may not have any signs of mental health issues like anxiety or depression. In this case, if the employee takes a break from work then the emotional disturbances get better. This is a lot different from mental health problems which most of the time require a therapeutic approach.
However, often there is a connection between poor emotional wellness and degrading mental health. Working in a high-stress environment for too long, constant burnout and high workloads can lead to poor mental health and cause depression. Emotional wellbeing and mental health can both reinforce each other for better or for worse.
Improving the emotional wellbeing of the employee is important to prevent any mental health issues from forming. The poor mental health of employees can lead to high absenteeism, less productivity, and low employee morale impacting organisations’ goals. By taking care of employees’ emotional wellbeing you will not only create a positive work culture but also unlock your business potential.
What Causes Poor Emotional Wellness In The Workplace?
There are various factors that lead to poor employee emotional wellbeing. Below we have pointed down the most common ones that degrade the overall wellbeing of employees.
Unhealthy Work Culture
An unhealthy workplace is a significant source of stress for employees. In addition, negative interpersonal relationships in the workplace, heavy workloads, ever-changing goals, or whatever is causing toxic work environments can make employees feel emotionally unstable. Not only does this lead to low productivity but also makes employees feel angry, stressed, and resentful.
Negative Interactions with Managers and Coworkers
Often the emotional wellbeing of the employees is largely affected because of how the manager reacts. A bad manager is always committed to talking down to the employees no matter how hard they try. In some cases, bad coworkers can be a big problem for employees. It’s a terrible feeling when just an individual can ruin the work environment.
If bad interpersonal experiences continue at work the employee will face emotional instability at work. That’s why organisations always promote a transparent workspace where employees can come up with anything that troubles them.
Lack of Support
Poor support from higher management within the organisation, an underdeveloped team, and the lack of supportive resources can also lead to unhealthy emotional wellbeing at work. Employees shouldn’t hesitate when asking for support depending on their role. Organisations should create an environment where employees feel well-heard, valued, and supported.
How to Promote Emotional Wellness of Employees in the Workplace?
Now that you understand the importance of emotional wellbeing, and the factors affecting it, it’s time to take the steps towards creating a culture that takes care of the emotional health of the employees. Here are some initiatives for better emotional wellbeing for employees:
- Offer workplace support to your employees
- Conduct one-to-one meetings with employees to find out their challenges and address them
- Come up with rewards and recognition to boost employee morale.
- Take care of four pillars of employee wellbeing that are emotional, physical, financial and social.
- Encourage employees to take time off to recharge
- Host activities at your workplace to promote emotional wellness
- Offer flexibility to employees. It can offer remote or hybrid workspace if possible.
- Conduct seminars on mental health
- Make employees feel comfortable and ask them if they need any kind of help
- Be transparent, and improve communications between employees
- Conduct team bonding activities to increase interpersonal relationships at work.
How CHOYS Can Care for Employees' Emotional Wellbeing?
Are you looking for solutions to take care of the emotional wellbeing of your employees? CHOYS can definitely help you with that!
Our Wellbeing Diagnosis feature helps you understand employee needs, allowing you to foster a culture of care and growth. While features like Mood Tracking & Meditation empower employees to thrive, CHOYS also provides data-driven insights to build a happier, healthier, and more productive workforce.
Want to learn more about CHOYS? Schedule a Demo Today!
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