Blue Monday is fast approaching – January 15. It’s “the most depressing day of the year”, when we are all at our most melancholy according to psychologist Cliff Arnall. The post-Christmas January blues have set in and it’s the peak month for divorce lawyers and job searching. A new job isn’t necessarily the answer though. Work, complaints though we do, is not all bad.

Work can be very good for us – it can provide much-needed direction and a sense of purpose in otherwise difficult times. And employers have a responsibility to help us to maintain our well-being at work. This is not only the ethical thing to do, but it can also be really beneficial for the employers themselves.

In an ideal scenario, employers would be there for us at difficult times with an understanding ear, offering a culture of mutual support. But equally, they would not demand or expect disclosure where an employee did not wish to do so.

This research is on the effectiveness of free mental health and well-being tools that can be used at work and, while the results of this research are still waiting to come in, there are nevertheless a number of principles that we already know can have a significant positive effect for an employees well-being. Here are five ways that your boss can help improve your well-being.

1. Keep busy but not overloaded

It’s important to have a busy routine that offers purpose but does not overload you with work. The busy bit here is just as important as not overloading you. We know from research that it is important to be kept busy and that boredom leads to stress and fatigue. At the same time, we also know that overloading an employee with more work than they can manage is a bad idea. The key here is balance – we want to be occupied, but we want achievable tasks and goals.

2. An element of control

Research has long been telling us that employees having a sense of control in their job is vital for well-being. This is not always easy to achieve, depending of course upon the nature of the job – but it is not impossible.

Even where employees may not be able to control the job they are doing – such as in manufacturing work – the ability to choose to move to a different part of a factory or to work on a different part of an assembly line, or simply the ability to have some say over shifts or when they have their breaks can make a lot of difference.

3. Interest and support

A line manager that is actively interested in the physical and mental well-being of employees and the impact of work on this can make a big difference. Being comfortable discussing this with employees and providing opportunities for development is great.

The important point here is that line managers are receptive to what it is that any individual employee may need in terms of support. We are all different, and one-size-fits-all solutions that make assumptions about what is or is not good for us are not always helpful.

At the same time, it is also vital that employers recognise the effects that their workplaces can have on employees, the maintenance of mental health and well-being is not solely an individual concern and responsibility should be shared.

4. A friendly working environment

Supportive colleagues in a friendly working environment really can make all the difference and the evidence for the benefits associated with good colleagues is overwhelming. If your colleagues are the main problem, it may well be time to start thinking about your options and what might help to better solidify these relationships.

5. Encouraging openness

Mental health still carries a big stigma. Mind, the mental health charity, tells us that stigma results in “employers and employees feeling scared and confused about confronting the issue”.

Encouraging open conversations than might be the most difficult thing for employers and line managers. Open discussions about mental health have not been commonplace historically. However, if we are to ensure parity between mental and physical health issues then it is vital that people feel able to talk if they want to. These conversations can happen in a number of ways but there are also tools that might help employers to do this.

Are you there for your employees in times of need? With a sympathetic ear and a supportive work environment, you can improve their mental health. This might also mean that you are required to take some workload off one’s shoulders. One other way how to do this is to hire more staff. With this, you might need some expert help in finding the best matching professional for your Life Science organisation. Check out how you can be helped here!

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Also published on Theconversation.com 

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