Wellness Programs – Stress Management and Mental Health

Stress Management

A lot of simple wellness activities and practices can help personnel understand the role stress plays in effecting health, safety, and productivity. It is necessary to help personnel understand simple stress management strategies for decling stress levels.

o  Stress kit check out. Have stress management tools available for employee use during a scheduled break time. Consider providing relaxation music or programs including player and headphones; mat or blanket to lie on; neck pillow; eye mask; and stress massage rollers.

o  Make available a stress management brown bag event at which personnel can attempt different kinds stress management tools.

o  Be certain to encourage staff to take 10-minute relaxation/exercise breaks. Post reminders.

o  Give a comfortable worker break area.

o  Designate a “quiet room” for meditation and relaxation, if possible.

o  Be sure to work with Management to keep supervisors informed about the effects of stress in the worksite. Supervisors are often the first step in helping employees find different ways of managing work related stressors.

o  Contact the Employee Assistance Provider (EAP) for a selection of stress management information and self-assessments.

o  Provide stress management self-assessments to interested workforce. Follow these up with a stress management videotape, a brown bag presentation, or a community guest speaker.

Mental Wellness

Emotions and mental health greatly affect overall health and wellness. Every wellness program should incorporate some services, programs, resources or activities to address mental health issues.

Mental health topics can be sensitive areas for workforce. Hence, it is vital that you provide information in a selection of ways, workplace presentations being just one possibility.

For  instance, put domestic violence resource cards in the restrooms to provide useful information in a private establishing that does not embarrass whoever. Other considerations include -

o  When planning to offer an oratory event or presentation a neutral class title will ensure potential participants won’t be put off by the name.

For  instance, “Parenting in 2004″, “Positive Parenting”, or “Parent University” is much more appealing than “Stress and Parenting”.

o  Be certain to allot enough time when hosting EAP/psychological health workshops for a question and answer session so participants may ask specific questions.

Always remind participants that individual help is available through the employee assistance program (EAP) and through their health benefits. Give written contact information for your EAP, but do so discretely.

o  The Worker Assistance Program (EAP) is an great partner and resource for health promotion programming in these areas.  The employee assistance program (EAP) can help find ways to address psychological health, stress, coping, and other related issues.