How Does Good Employee Mental Health Impact Organizational Success?
Our emotions are reflected in everything that we do.
From something as simple as sending an email to something as complex as computational coding, the output mirrors our feelings. So, if people are happy, their work will radiate positivity and wholesomeness. In fact, a study by the Social Market Foundation states that happier employees are about 12% more productive than their unhappy counterparts. This indicates that emotions are directly correlated with the performance of people at work.
How Negative Emotions Impact an Organization and Its People?
Stress, anger, frustration, burnout, fear, and anxiety are the most prevalent negative emotions people deal with. Let’s look at how these emotions impact the overall growth of an organization.
Impact on Employees
Reduced Job Satisfaction
Negative emotions can erode job satisfaction, causing employees to become disengaged and less motivated to perform at their best.
Decreased Productivity
Stress, anger, and anxiety can impair an employee’s ability to concentrate and be productive. Tasks may take longer to complete, and the quality of work can suffer.
Physical Health Issues
Prolonged exposure to negative emotions can lead to health problems, including high blood pressure, cardiovascular issues, and mental health disorders.
Increased Absenteeism
Employees experiencing negative emotions are more likely to take sick days, leading to increased absenteeism and decreased work continuity.
Impact on Employer
Higher Turnover
Negative emotions often drive employees to seek new job opportunities. High turnover rates can be costly for organizations in terms of recruitment, training, and lost institutional knowledge.
Reduced Innovation
An environment dominated by negative emotions stifles creativity and innovation. Employees are less likely to take risks or propose new ideas, stalling the organization’s growth.
Lower Employee Morale
Negative emotions can create a toxic work environment, leading to lower employee morale and a lack of enthusiasm for the company’s mission and values.
Conflict and Tension
Workplace conflicts tend to escalate when negative emotions are prevalent. This can disrupt teamwork, hinder collaboration, and affect the quality of work.
Design Strategies for Creating Mentally Healthy Workspaces
Creating emotionally and mentally healthy workspaces is a matter of strategic investment in employee well-being and productivity. So, let’s delve into the details of how organizations can develop offices that are healthier and happier.
Introducing Natural Elements
Embracing biophilic design principles isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about harnessing the power of nature to nurture employee well-being. The presence of nature-inspired elements such as indoor plants, green walls, and natural stone seatings, can improve air quality, reduce stress levels, and boost creativity. Additionally, this helps people feel a sense of calm and connectedness, contributing to their mental health.
Flexible Work Zones
Creating a diverse range of workspaces signals that an organization values employees’ diverse work styles. Making spaces for quite focused work and collaboration provides a workforce with the choice to select their work setting. Incorporating an extensive range of pods, coworking desks, cubicles, cabins, and standing desks can promote flexibility in the workplace, resulting in higher job satisfaction.
Ergonomic Furniture
Investing in comfortable furniture safeguards employee health and happiness. Motorized adjustable chairs and sit-stand desks reduce the risk associated with prolonged hours of working such as back pain, muscular pain, and nervous disorders. Organizations can also consider providing breakout spaces at regular intervals where employees can take a walk, relax, and engage with each other.
Customization of Workspace
Allowing employees to personalize their workplace means recognizing their individuality.
This stands as a testament to the organization’s commitment to making employees feel at home. By personalizing workstations and cabins, companies can foster a sense of ownership, belongingness, and pride. When employees feel they have a space that reflects their identity, it reduces feelings of isolation in the workspace.
Spaces for Rejuvenation
Making room for relaxation is essential for employees to feel rejuvenated and maintain creativity at work. Spaces such as cafeterias, indoor games rooms, spas, gyms, lounges, and meditation rooms become havens where employees can engage in stress-relieving activities. Thus, by reducing stress through wellness initiatives, employees can maintain good mental health to perform at their best.
Mindful Use of Color
Utilizing the psychology of colors can go a long way in making employees feel secure, comforted, and happy. Earthy cool colors like blues and greens promote a sense of calm, while warmer tones like yellow and red can stimulate energy and creativity. These colors can be incorporated in workspace through surface finishes such as wall, ceiling, flooring, and furniture.
Access to Natural Light
Daylighting is one of the key design elements that help in reducing workplace negativity. Introducing windows not only provides a view of the outdoors but also makes a space more cheerful and inspiring. However, if the access to natural light is limited, companies must consider providing sufficient artificial lighting to reduce the feeling of dullness and monotony among employees.
Technology Integration
Technology is the new black and organizations who make the most of it can grow their business exponentially. Especially, with the rising prevalence of hybrid working, using technology has become all the more essential. Integrating digital screens and immersive technologies such as VR conferencing rooms, AI-powered applications, and IoT management systems can help employees feel agile and progressive in their office.
In Conclusion
Creating emotionally supportive workspaces requires a multifaceted approach that includes both design and strategy. In addition to the above-mentioned design interventions, organizations must foster a culture of open communication, where employees feel comfortable expressing their emotions and concerns. More so, they must implement leadership and management practices that prioritise empathy and emotional intelligence. Further, promoting work-life balance and wellness programs that cater to the physical and mental well-being of employees can significantly help.
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