LISTEN: Mental Health talk with Kathrine Bekker-Smith
"Kids and adults just really need to get outside".
An employee well-being is a concept that describes an individual's physical, emotional, and mental health.
It focuses on creating a workplace environment that encourages and supports employees to maintain a balance between work and personal life, as well as feeling safe, respected, and supported in their roles.
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It also involves providing employees with resources and support to ensure their physical and mental health needs are met.
The breakfast team was thrilled to have Kathrine Bekker-Smith is the Founder of Heal Your Life and focuses on facilitating programmes and workshops geared towards leaders and how they are able to transform themselves and their teams
Here she is talking to Darren and Sky about all things Mental Health issues surrounding children, workplace and other issues.
Depression is one of the most prevalent conditions experienced by employees in the workplace.
According to the World Health Organisation, 27% of South Africans suffer from depression.
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It is also estimated that employee absenteeism on account of depression costs the South African economy approximately R19 billion a year.
According to Kathrine “It is very clear that a working environment that does not support their employees emotional well-being has a negative impact on our country as a whole”.
Therefore, it is imperative that companies change their culture by investing in their employees emotional well-being.
It is about bringing the human connection back into our work environments.
Here are 5 things your company can start implementing today to create a positive environment for your employees:
- Encourage breaks throughout the day - Breaks help to reduce stress and improve focus and productivity.
- Offer flexible work schedules - Flexible work schedules encourage employees to manage their work-life balance in a way that works for them.
- Provide mental health resources – It is important that employers raise awareness around mental health and the impact of not addressing one’s mental health. Encourage open dialogue.
- Provide employees with access to mental health resources such as counseling, support groups, or resources to help with stress management.
- Encourage social connections - Encouraging employees to connect with their peers and build relationships can help to reduce feelings of isolation and improve mental well-being.
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Main image attribution: ECR