Mental health is as important an issue in Irish workplaces as physical health. At SL Controls, we believe it is essential to promote a positive and supportive culture around mental health, which is why we started Think Well at SL.
Think Well at SL is our in-house mental health programme that runs alongside its sister programme, Live Well at SL. Live Well as SL is concerned with promoting good physical health in our employees, while Think Well at SL is about promoting good mental health.
Why is this important? According to research, almost 50 percent of workers in Ireland believe being open about mental health problems in the workplace would have a negative impact on relationships with colleagues. Our aim at SL Controls is to tackle this concern head-on by having a workplace that is open, supportive, and encouraging when it comes to mental health issues.
The Benefits of Mental Health Programmes in the Workplace
Attracting and retaining the right talent is essential for all businesses. It is also important that employees perform to the best of their abilities. Good mental health among employees is essential in delivering all these goals.
After all, employees spend a significant amount of time at work every week and they spend a lot of time with colleagues.
By taking a proactive and positive approach towards mental health, employees feel happier and supported. They can also learn about mental issues and how to deal with them through advice and education initiatives.
Think Well at SL
Think Well at SL is a culture as much as it is a programme. The programme includes a calendar of events that take place throughout the year that help to promote specific mental health issues.
The company also has a comprehensive mental health policy that all employees have access to.
In addition, regular initiatives take place to educate employees on workplace-related mental health issues. This includes highlighting the importance of each employee looking after their own mental health.
Specific advice SL Controls gives to employees on how to look after their mental health includes:
- Make sure you get enough sleep every day as your mind needs time to rest and recuperate as much as your body does. Experts recommend getting eight hours sleep per night
- Your mind also reacts to what you eat so make sure you eat healthy food
- Exercise also helps maintain good mental health and can improve your mood, so exercise regularly
- Drinking is not a good way to deal with stress or other negative feelings so make sure you always drink sensibly
- Have an active social life as it is important to stay connected with other people, communicating in person as much as possible, i.e. meeting people or speaking to them on the phone rather than messaging, texting, or emailing
- Talk about your feelings as problems often feel smaller when you share them with someone else
In terms of the culture regarding mental health, SL Controls focuses on several key areas:
- Promoting workplace discussions on mental health issues
- Encouraging employees to start and engage in conversations about mental health in the workplace, whether that is their own mental health or if they have a concern about a colleague’s mental health.
- Encouraging employees to talk to the HR department, their manager, or their colleagues about any concern they have, or about any mental health issue they face
It is as important to live healthily mentally as it is physically. At SL Controls, Think Well at SL helps our employees do this.