The stigma around mental health often prevents people from talking about it with their employers or colleagues. Why does this matter? Mental health is something we all have in common; it affects us all differently and can impact many aspects of our lives. You may know someone who has struggled with their mental health at some point in their lives; you might have even struggled yourself. In fact, one in three Canadians will be affected by a mental illness during their lifetime.

This article will equip you with practical tools and resources to help maintain mental health at work—for both yourself and your colleagues.

Building Connection with Colleagues at Elantis

The health and happiness of our staff is critical to us at Elantis. In fact, one of our core values is to focus on people. That’s why we have many supports in place to contribute to our employees’ mental health every day.

For example, Elantis has a weekly meeting with all staff where we share knowledge, updates on projects, and kudos. This fun and interactive Friday afternoon ritual serves as an opportunity to connect with each other and helps our team relax and decompress after the week’s activities. We also have regular social events, both virtually and in person where possible, to maintain connection and build lasting relationships.

One of the ways we have increased our connection as a team over the past year is by growing our culture of appreciation through a rewards and recognition program. Through this program, team members send and receive thank-yous and appreciations daily. When we feel connected and appreciated, our mental health is supported and we can be more productive at work.

Supporting Mental Health in the Workplace

It is important for managers to educate themselves about the signs and symptoms of mental illness and help create a supportive workplace environment where employees feel comfortable discussing their mental well-being.

If you suspect that an employee is struggling with mental health issues, it’s important to be sensitive and supportive. Here are some tips for how to approach a situation if you believe an employee may be experiencing depression or another mental illness:

• Listen to them, validate their feelings, and show compassion when the employee talks about their situation.
• Encourage the employee to seek help from a medical professional or therapist.
• Ask what they need from you. This is a good way to see if there are any specific steps you can take to help. For example, if the person feels overwhelmed with work, consider giving them some extra time off or providing other accommodation.
• Encourage them to talk about what they’re feeling. This will help you understand their situation better and provide support when needed.
• Have an open conversation during lunch breaks and coffee runs. Ask questions like, “Are you having a hard day? I’m always up for talking if you feel like getting something off your chest.” Or perhaps even just say, “You seem stressed out today—are things okay?” Be mindful of the fact that many people might not be comfortable opening up to their boss about depression or anxiety issues.

Mental Health Resources

There is a lot of information available to support your mental health, ways you can take action, and resources that can help get you started on your journey toward better self-care. Here are a few resources that may help:

• Alberta Health Services: Mental health and substance use supports available in the province of Alberta.
• Be There: Learn how to support others with their mental health. Resources to gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence to step up and be there for one another.
• Mental Health Support in BC: Mental health and substance use supports available in the province of British Columbia.
• MindShift CBT: A free, scientifically-based mobile app designed to help people of all ages cope with and work through mild to moderate anxiety. MindShift CBT is available for both Android and iOS.
• Wellness Together Canada: Free and virtual mental health and substance use support for people in Canada and Canadians abroad.

Raising Awareness on Bell Let’s Talk Day

Bell Let’s Talk Day is Wednesday, January 25 and is a national mental health initiative that raises awareness for this topic and funds for mental health programs. Elantis is joining in and committing to take meaningful action to create positive change.

This year’s Bell Let’s Talk Day campaign highlights ways we can all create meaningful change and take action by doing one or more of the following:

• Choose a mental health organization to learn about or support.
• Help a friend struggling with their mental health by learning how to support them.
• Ask about how your workplace or community is creating change for mental health.
• Nurture your own well-being by practicing and learning mental health strategies.
• Get involved in a mental health initiative or organize an event to support mental health.
• Engage in conversations about mental health to fight stigma.

Bell Let’s Talk Day is a day when we can all come together in support of mental health. It’s an opportunity to not only raise awareness, but also to start conversations about mental health with your friends, family members, and colleagues. We think it’s important that everyone has the opportunity to show their support and help spark conversation around mental health issues.

Here at Elantis, we are proud to be a part of Bell Let’s Talk Day and the movement it has sparked. Mental health issues affect all of us, whether we’re aware of it or not. As an organization that focuses on people, we know that this is an issue we need to keep talking about.

Let’s create positive change together. Start by sharing this article on social media using #BellLetsTalk.