Emotional Wellness At The Workplace

Written by: Sarah Alysse Rosner, Executive Contributor

Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.

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Are you a business owner or manager looking to improve the emotional wellness of your employees? In order for a team to have a solid working relationship, you need to understand their pain points and what their goals are for your company. Sounds simple, but many people miss the bar and therefore don’t retain their employees.

Here are 5 easy ways to ensure your employees are feeling emotional well at the workplace.

1. Set up individual meetings

• The most important task a manager or business owner has at hand is to get to know their employees. One big mistake people make is that they focus on the employee’s role at the company and not them as human beings. It is essential that you learn what their passions are outside of work and understand both career and life goals. In these meetings, give your undivided attention. Develop a framework for the year with these ideas in mind:

  1. What type of work are you most interested in doing?

  2. Where would you like to be at this company in 2 years?

  3. When you are stressed, what do you do to relax?

  4. Tell me about your favorite activity outside of work.

  5. What would you say are your strengths and weaknesses at this job?

  6. How can I support you in achieving your career goals?

The employee will feel extremely supported if you take the time to get to know them first. At the same time, you still want to make sure you are the boss and not a friend. Tasks need to get done but showing you care will help them respect you more.

2. Model Self Care

• People will act the same way as you show up at work. This means that you need to demonstrate boundaries and work/life balance. Share with your employees what your interests are outside of work, how you destress throughout the week and stop working at a set time every day. In my own business, I have used the following to help set expectations for my employees and develop emotional trust with them:

  1. An organized schedule for when tasks need to be done.

  2. Create wellness opportunities for them. As a certified health coach, I have given my employees the option of scheduling a session with me monthly. They can choose to use it or not but at least they have it available to them.

  3. Develop a monthly goal spreadsheet.

  4. Express gratitude weekly to your employees.

  5. Demonstrate self-care by taking breaks throughout your day.

  6. Proactively learn something new. In my area of expertise, new research comes out every month so it’s vital to show my employees that I’m continually enriching my knowledge.

3. Create fun activities for employees monthly or if it’s a smaller company, celebrate with rewards.

This doesn’t have to be an extravagant event, but employees appreciate the little things. If they hit a major goal, send them lunch or purchase something that will help them develop their skills for that outside of the work passion project. If you work in an office, take the team out for a happy hour or a fun outing: darts, mini golf, pickleball, cooking class, etc.

4. Encourage employees to use vacation days.

We all need to take breaks from work. Otherwise, we burn out. It doesn’t matter how productive your team is at their job, and all employees need a mental reset. When they come back from their vacation, you may find that the employee will work more efficiently.

5. See or hear something, say something.

Connecting with your employee is a great first step but then you must be active in following up with them. Continue to interact with them as well as take notice if anything unusual, like a change in their behavior, occurs. If they are acting out or despondent, ask to meet with them individually again and see how you can support them. By being open, communicative, and a good listener, your employees will be supportive and proactive in return.

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Read more from Sarah Alysse!

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Sarah Alysse Rosner, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine

Sarah Alysse is a corporate stress management coach that helps companies cultivate a low-stress environment so that their employees can be happier and more productive. She’s the creator and CEO of Live Well Enhance You, which was formed out of a need for her Pilates clients to find balance in their lives. She branched into the corporate market to assist employees in creating out-of-the-box wellness solutions. She utilizes her BFA Musical Theater Performance background to coach others on how to be confident and understand the connection between the brain and body. Spanning over a decade, Sarah has collected an abundance of certifications from the Integrative Institute of Nutrition, STOTT Pilates, to the National Academy of Sports Medicine. She’s been featured on WGN's Living Healthy and WGN Around Town segment as a Stress Management Expert. Also, she has been promoted on Business Insider, Yahoo Finance, Authority, Kivo Daily, LA Wire, The Chicago Journal, NY Wire, NY Weekly, IdeaMensch, and US Reporter. In addition, she’s the host of the Stress-Free SOULutions podcast.