Employee Wellness Plans : Worksite Wellness Program Ideas: Stress Management and Mental Health

Stress Management

Many simple wellness activities and practices can help staff members know the role stress plays in effecting health, safety, and productivity. It is necessary to help staff members know simple stress management strategies for decreasing stress levels.
• 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.
• Offer a stress management brown bag event at which staff members can try different types stress management tools.
• Urge staff members to take 10-minute relaxation/exercise breaks. Display reminders.
• Give a comfortable employee break area.
• Establish a “quiet room” for meditation and relaxation, if possible.
• Work with Senior Leadership to keep supervisors informed about the effects of stress in the workplace. Supervisors are frequently the first step in helping staff members find different ways of managing work related stressors.
• Contact the Employee Assistance Provider (EAP) for a variety of stress management information and self-assessments.
• Provide stress management self-assessments to interested workers. Follow these up with a stress management videotape, a brown bag presentation, or a neighborhood guest speaker.

Mental Health and Wellness

Emotions and mental health greatly affect central health and wellness. Every Corporate Wellness Program should incorporate some services, programs, resources or activities to address mental health issues.

Mental health topics can be sensitive areas for workers. Therefore, it is valuable to offer information in a variety of ways, workplace presentations being just one possibility. For example, put domestic violence resource cards in the restrooms to offer useful information in a private setting that does not embarrass anyone. Other considerations include:
• 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. By way of example, “Parenting in 2004″, “Positive Parenting”, or “Parent University” is much more appealing than “Stress and Parenting”.
• Be sure to allot proper time when hosting EAP/mental health seminars for a question and answer session so participants may ask specific questions. Always remind participants that individual help is available through the EAP and also through their health benefits. Offer written contact information for your EAP, but do so discretely.
• The Employee Assistance Program(EAP) is an excellent partner and resource for wellness programming in these areas. The EAP can help discover ways to address mental health, stress, coping, and other related issues.