Jenny Burke
Senior Director, Impairment Practice, National Safety Council
Mental health issues and the holidays are an unspoken, but all too common, combination. When it comes to seasonal and winter wellness, employers have an important role to play in supporting employees and helping them address these additional stressors.
A very different holiday season may be drawing to a close, but as excited as we may be about closing the door on 2020, the impacts of the past year may linger much longer, especially as days get shorter, darker, and colder.
Holidays are common stressors for people with mental health issues, with 64 percent of people with a mental illness reporting that the holidays make their condition worse. That’s on top of the 40 percent of adults who have reported struggling with mental health or substance use in 2020. Substance use spikes during times of stress, and most states have already seen a spike in overdose deaths during the pandemic.
Many people are experiencing changes to cherished traditions, the grief of a first holiday without a loved one, or other stress. People may not be able to leave this behind when they report to work, whether they work remotely or at a traditional worksite.
When it comes to seasonal and winter wellness, employers have an important role to play in supporting employees and helping them address these additional stressors. Some things employers can do include:
- Have empathy and give employees some grace.
- Manage expectations to reduce stress, be flexible with work schedules, and encourage PTO use.
- Teach employees how to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental distress and substance use; talk about it and dispel the stigma; and continue to communicate EAP resources.
- Say thank you and encourage others to give back or volunteer.
- Encourage employees to practice self-care and set routines that help us to recharge and get work done safely and effectively.
The workplace can significantly impact employee mental health and it can also be a place of care and support. To truly prioritize and address mental health in this season and beyond, it will take all of us. https://nsc.org/mentalhealth.