15 Successful Mental Wellness Activities to Inspire Yours

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• ‍79% of employees have experienced stress at work during the last 12 months.
• 45% of employees have considered leaving a job due to the stress it has created.

Source: Wipro

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Post pandemic, employee mental wellness and work-life balance has been talked about like never before. This is a big positive sign for the Indian employee market.

Every organization, every team and every individual is different. So, how do you design a program that solves and supports mental health at all levels? We are here to help you out.

Read: How do Amazon, Google and Microsoft approach employee mental health?

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What mental health wellness activities top companies are practicing? 

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Many enterprises, SMEs and startups have taken steps to curate better mental health wellbeing for their employees. Let’s have a look into some of the companies that have a kickass employee mental wellness program. This can help you get some mental health wellness program ideas.

1. LinkedIn

Talking about employee mental wellness, LinkedIn is probably the first company to come to your mind. They have a very unique and absolute perspective for employee wellness programs. This program has six dimensions referred to as – Thoughts, Breathing, Nutrition, Movement, Rest and Hydration.

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     In this, the thought dimension is the one that deals with the mental wellbeing of the employee. 

• This dimension (also called principle) is used to promote healthy thinking and mindfulness. 
• LinkedIn offers Employee Assistance Program counseling sessions. This gives employees the acessbility to address mental wellness
• The company places a large amount of significance on de-stressing and has installed mindfulness lounge areas where employees are encouraged to focus on activities such as mediation and yoga. 
• They also motivate their employees to move away from the work screen and go get some rest. How cool is that! These are some of the ways LinkedIn support employee mental health.

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Why this works?

1. Addresses present-day issues.
2. Mental wellness is a part of the culture as evident from people leaders emphasizing on screen time and de-stress.

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This way of having a complete domain just for the mental wellness of their employees makes this a very unique and effective way to understand the mental and emotional conditions of employees and work on solving these problems. 

2. Google  

After the coronavirus pandemic, Google has emphasized employee health, especially mental health by establishing long-term remote work plans and offering periodic days off called ‘reset days’. 

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Lauren Whitt told on CNBC that in seeking out strategies to help Google’s employees deal with the crisis, the company is leaning more towards ‘resilience training’ an expression generally used for professional athletes and combat fighters. 

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The company’s resilience team which already had existing programs like counselling and employee resource group wanted to do more for the mental wellbeing of their employees and came up with small habits. 

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They understood that employees spend most of their time on screen, so Whitt’s group decided to provide a series of digital clips called ‘Meet the Moment’ which would contain 5-6 minutes long videos on topics like better sleep, parenting, avoiding anxiety, etc. 

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Why this works?

Guess what, the response turned out very well and many employees actually prioritized mental health and wellbeing. Employees started their participation and hosted virtual events like orchestras and comedy shows.

3. Swiggy

Swiggy launched a wellness program called ‘Built around you’, which focuses on four factors, physical, mental, financial and legal wellness. For the mental wellness factor, they decided to offer unlimited tele and video consultation sessions with doctors, counselors, psychologists, as well as a customized digital and onsite program for both employees and their loved ones. 

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Along with this the extended benefits include discounted gym membership, psychology sessions, home diagnostics, etc. 

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Why this works?

Due to the built around you structure, this initiative helped the employees to express their mental health conditions without any kind of external force from the employers.

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4. Paytm

The fintech giant Paytm has been focusing on their employee’s mental health and the employee wellness team has been busy organizing a well-curated plan. The team came up with the ‘Speak up and start a dialogue initiative.    

“Talking is the first step and the most important one. Once a dialogue starts, then it becomes easier to get help for any mental health and stress-related issues,” a company spokesperson said in a recent interview with YourStory. 

Paytm conducts regular webinars on mental health wellness for the employees so that they can understand how to deal with stress. 

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With this initiative, the company wants to ensure their employees that they are not alone in fighting their anxiety or mental health and encourages their employees to speak up and start a conversation, express themselves to the experts and get help for the same. 

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Why this works?

This program turned out to be a success and was highly appreciated by the employees, as they felt that their opinions and voices are being listened to and acted upon.

5. Inmobi

‍Inmobi is an advertising firm. They have introduced 21 additional wellbeing-related days off which employees can avail at any time of the year. The CHRO of the company stated that these holidays can be used for self-care, mental wellness and even as pitstops. 

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The company has a ‘No Meeting Fridays’ policy which allows employees to relax and refresh during the weekends and strike through their weekend plans for personal enhancements. This policy claims to have helped many employees become stress-free from the office workload and improve their productivity. 

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Along with this, they organize sessions by psychotherapists and psychologists related to centering, body-mind integration, breath-work, and promoting mindfulness. Additionally, they also provide access to individual therapy sessions to address their challenges. 

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Why this works?

The idea of giving additional holidays for mental wellness in itself is quite satisfying and a major factor for employees wellness benefits. Also, having not meeting on Friday policy really worked out for personal enhancements. 

6. Meesho

‍Meesho has always been in news for its employee benefits and perks. Have you seen #workfromanywhere trending on Twitter and LinkedIn? All thanks to Meesho, this idea was initiated to allow their employees to work from the places they were most productive at. 

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Also, Meesho planned to establish small workstations in tier 2 and tier 3 cities, so that anyone from these cities can work from the office if they wish to. That is one way of relieving mental stress, off their employees! 

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During November too, they announced a company-wide 10 days break for all the employees and called it the ‘Reset and Recharge’ policy. This decision was taken by the founder and CEO Vidit Atrey right after their busy and frenetic festive sale season so that when employees are back after the break, they are fresh and rejuvenated. 

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Why this works?

This is a unique idea to de-stress employee mental health, especially in the start-up world where employees hustle disregarding their mental health.

7. Druva

‍Druva, a cloud data protection unicorn, has taken various initiatives holistic mental wellness support to their employees. This support is through designated professional counsellors, psychologists, and doctors. They have encouraged employees to prioritize physical fitness to cope with emotional and mental stress. 

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Along with this, they provide reimbursements for expenses related to wellness activities like online fitness classes, fitness trackers, sports equipment exercise video games, and many more.

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Why this works?

A holistic approach to wellness for employees through professional help worked well for firms like Druva, where employees are generally stuck to their cubicles and work continuously for the clients.

8. Pazcare

‍Pazcare has an integrated approach towards each employee’s mental wellness. Being a budding startup, they make sure to provide a friendly and uplifting working experience. There are one on one mental health and wellness sessions conducted every month, which mainly focus on employees' stress, anxiety and how to deal with it. Also, there are weekly activities/breaks where all employees, managers and founders come together, go for lunch/dinner and have a good positive time.

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Why this works?

Pazcare provides a friendly, encouraging, cooperating and uplifting environment at the workplace. Also, they keep a check on their employee’s mental wellness. Due to the presence of such an environment at a start-up, this method works well for them.

Read: How to look after your team’s mental health?

9. Accenture

Accenture, a management consulting firm provides employee assistance programmes, which gives confidential support for conditions like stress, substance addiction, depression, and anxiety. Additionally, Teladoc services are made available to employees, allowing them to consult a doctor whenever they have a query about their health.

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Why this works?

Accenture’s Mental Health Ally network includes 8000+ trained members spread across its operating countries that provides mental wellness assistance when needed to its employees.

10. Uber

Uber has partnered with several Employee Assistance Programs to provide assistance to its employees and their families  to support their mental wellbeing. These include confidential 27/4 counselling, digital wellness app that has videos and mental wellness activities to indulge in,a library consisting of materials on wellness and a Wellbeing Reimbursement Program.

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Why this works?

The 24/7 counselling program has the option of face to face, phone, or video sessions. The Wellbeing Reimbursement program will be helpful for managing employee’s wellness expenses .

11. American Airlines

In order to assist its employees, American Airlines has put in place a comprehensive mental health programme. To maintain a strong programme, the organisation checks each case on a monthly basis. Additionally, the group supported improved clinician reporting for better measurable outcomes for employee mental health.

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Why this works?

As a result of all of these initiatives, there has been an increase in work engagement, and the programme now places a strong emphasis on proactive programmes and integration.

12. Intuit

Intuit's employees through its "Well-Mind" initiative gain access to a web-based platform for practising mindfulness. To meet different needs, it has over 1000 self-paced tools and sessions. Its Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides private counselling with licensed professionals.

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Why this works?

The programme has been improved to support the requirements of its employees for their physical wellness, mental wellness, and also financial well-being by providing them with an annual reimbursement to pay costs.

13. Ernst & Young LLP (EY)

The "Better You" programme from EY provides up to 25 therapy appointments for staff members and their families, mindfulness instruction, and meditation sessions to address employees' mental wellness. Additionally, EY pays for the cost of training staff members to spot signs of trouble in their network and online support resources to help employees better manage stress.

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Why this works?

Services are available face-to-face, by phone or web video sessions. Support during life's transitions (e.g., marriage, divorce, starting a family and caring for ill loved ones). Referrals for family, legal, mental health, addiction and stress management issues.

14. Johnson & Johnson

The Healthy Mind programme was launched by Johnson & Johnson as part of its extensive employee health campaign. Employees and their families are both taught about the value of mental wellness as part of the program's mental health component. Additionally, the business has introduced the One Mind Initiative, a collaboration with the Kennedy Forum.

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Why this works?

One Mind initiative aims to increase access to mental healthcare, reform coverage, and improve workplace mental health by bringing CEOs from significant businesses together.

15. Thoughtworks

Thoughtworks, a global technology consultancy has a Do with compassion program that involves office programmes created for employees to encourage transparency at work and talk about mental health issues.

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Why this works?

It provides employees with enhanced support that is tailored to their individual needs, their function within the organisation, and their individual capacity.

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Psychological activities for employees at workplace

Gratitude challenge

An atmosphere of gratitude can improve team dynamics and instantly lift your mood. Launch a 30-day office appreciation challenge. Encourage staff members to express their gratitude by writing notes of appreciation to customers, vendors, and coworkers.

Comedy/entertainment Shows

Activities for mental wellness also include watching comedies or other entertainment programmes. This is so that negative thoughts can be kept at bay and laughter and amusement can serve as a distraction from the daily stress of work and life. Thus, scheduling such performances for the staff on a regular basis not only helps to break up the monotony of the job but also benefits the mental health of the workers.

Stress Reduction Workshop

Workplace stress has recently been a very crucial factor in affecting mental wellbeing. Hosting a stress-reduction workshop that educates staff members how to maintain control over their stress levels would be helpful for the employees.

Yoga/ Meditation day

Conducting a weekly or monthly yoga and meditation day is a great mental health and wellness activity for employees. It not only helps improve their mental health but also has benefits to their physical health. Bring in a trained instructor to conduct such sessions regularly.

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What can you do to ensure employee mental wellness activities for groups in your company?

After going through the various programs and initiatives of different companies related to mental wellness, I came up with a few considerable points that companies can implement on their employees for better mental health.

• The fact - Employee health ∝ Company growth.
• A well-curated, detailed holistic approach for wellbeing is required as we have seen in the case of LinkedIn and Druva. Mental wellness should be a long and continuous employee benefits. Offering a couple of sessions in a year won’t make the cut.
• HRs must encourage the employees to speak up about their problems, mental situations and anxieties. Moreover, the organization should create a safe space for the same. Employees should be able to take leaves stating their mental health issues as a reason.
• Conducting stress buster activities like fun Friday games would help relieve the mental stress of the employees.
• One major initiative companies can take is to go for a data-driven approach for their employee’s mental wellness. Yes, you have to keep a record of your employee’s health and wellbeing conditions. You can collaborate with mental wellness platforms like YOURdost and Innerhour that will help you within providing a mental wellness program that is customized to your company. These platforms help you get insights on the usage of the program by employees too. This would help you understand your employees better and make better wellness decisions using data.
  

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Read: 5 Ways To Improve Mental Health At Workplace

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Mental health sessions for employees by Pazcare

Pazcare provides corporate wellness programs for your team. In today’s day and age, it’s a must that every working individual takes part in wellness and therapy. Help your employees stay relaxed and productive by offering a comprehensive wellness plan. Some of our key features include:

• Organizational diagnostics using periodic surveys & evaluations.
• Access to premium coaches and therapists in the industry.
• Weekly workshops and webinars on requested themes.
• Dedicated number for self-help personalized support.

We also offers group personal accident, group term life and group mediclaim insurance policy for employees.

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Design your team’s healthcare benefits and wellness plan now. Talk to our team to gain more insights and competitive pricing for your workforce.

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