In line with the recent RUOK? Day, it is important we continue conversations around mental health and supporting your co-workers.
Jordan Sharp, a Psychologist for the NSW Department of Education, joined us earlier this year for our #AskTheExpert Session with Kaitlin Allen, our Senior Recruitment Consultant in the Health and Community Services Team at Beaumont People.
Based off this session, we outlined Jordan’s responses into easy-to-digest lists on how to recognise signs of poor mental health in colleagues and best support them in the workplace. We have also summarised it into a downloadable, that can be accessed here, which acts as a printable reminder for your team members.
Emotional signs – Low mood, anxiety, sense of failure, self-doubt, helplessness, trapped, defeated, detachment, loneliness, loss of motivation, increasing cynical/negative outlook, decreased satisfaction.
Physical signs – Fatigue, change in sleep patterns, weight fluctuation, hygiene/self-care.
Performance signs – Reduced performance and productivity, inconsistent quality, lack of creativity.
These are also some signs to be aware of for ourselves too.
It’s important to check-in, be respectful, and reach out where appropriate, but don’t pressure the individual to disclose personal information.
It is recommended that you escalate the issue if there is any risk to safety, for example if they make a disclosure of self-harm/suicidality. It is also recommended to escalate the issue if you have a gut feeling that something isn’t right but remember to respect confidentiality if you do.
It’s so fantastic to see more conversations and support around mental health and wellbeing in the workplace, considering we all spend a lot of our time in that space. Below we have listed some more resources to explore if you need further guidance.
Want to learn more? Watch Nina Mapson Bone’s “Signs your team members are burning out” video here.
All content copyrighted Beaumont People © All rights reserved.