Tackling Anxiety In The Workplace As A Leader By Elevate

Between 2020 and 2021, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) reported that an estimated 822,000 workers were affected by work-related stress, depression, or anxiety. This accounted for 50% of all work-related ill health. Whilst many cite the pandemic as the predominant cause of stress and anxiety of late, the Labour Force Survey (2009/10-2011/12) reports that pre-pandemic, the leading factors included workload, tight deadlines, too much work, pressure and responsibility. Other factors identified included a lack of managerial support, organisational changes at work and role uncertainty. 

It’s crucial that, as business leaders, we are putting our team’s health first – both mental and physical. We should treat mental health issues such as anxiety in the same way we would a broken arm – providing suitable support and allowing time to heal. Ilona Alcock, Co-Founder & Director of business development consultancy, Elevate, explains how businesses can ensure their employees’ mental health is always put first.

Offer genuine flexible working

Do not have set hours and offer unlimited holiday to everyone in the company. Trust people to work when they are more productive and to take breaks when needed. That might mean starting later after a bad night’s sleep, going out for a walk in the middle of the day or taking a day off to get rested. For some, just knowing this flexibility is there will be a real comfort and can help to combat those Sunday scaries! 

Provide resources 

Opt for insurance that covers mental health support as well as physical – it is just as important. Consider using companies like Spill – an all-in-one mental health support platform that provides therapy sessions, manager mental health training and regular check-ins embedded into your company’s Slack or Microsoft Teams.  Actively encourage employees to access therapy if useful and ensure that this can be easily worked around in terms of their commitments (i.e., allowing time off during normal working hours, rather than waiting for evening or weekend sessions). 

Spot red flags

We’ve all worked in environments where bullying is brushed under the carpet and toxic behaviour is accepted. As a leader, it is your responsibility to ensure that managers in the business are behaving appropriately. Check in with your team regularly to ensure they are not being treated unfairly by anybody else, and make sure they always feel comfortable enough to confide in you if they are. 

Work on yourself

Don’t neglect your own mental health. As a leader, it’s important to make good choices and set an example for the rest of the team. Consider getting a mentor – having somebody objective to talk to can be hugely beneficial. At the moment, I’m working with an amazing coach (Bianca Boyce) around dealing with trauma from previous roles, establishing values and goal setting. I also have a journal which I use to plan the next day and write down my gratitude list – doing this every night helps me to end the day on a positive note and get a better night’s sleep. 

Commit to having downtime

Make time to switch off – for me, that means going to the gym or practising yoga. It forces me to take time away from my screen and focus on what I’m doing rather than overthinking everything. Encourage employees to do the same – you could even organise a team trip to a local class to de-stress together (or if you’re remote working, how about Zoom yoga!) 

Ultimately, business leaders have a responsibility to ensure that employees’ wellbeing is always prioritised. It’s imperative that we cultivate strong, trusting relationships with those we work alongside so that they always feel comfortable confiding in us – this way, we can help to work towards a solution.