Your how-to: Conducting awareness sessions on the impact of behaviour on mental wellness
This refers to the process of conducting awareness sessions within your workplace, specifically focussed on how different behaviours can impact mental wellbeing. Using the competencies and behavioural metrics identified as crucial within your organisation, these sessions aim to illuminate the relationship between actions, interactions, and mental health.
In practical terms, this involves creating and hosting sessions tailored to your work environment and team specifications. You may explore topics like the effect of workplace conflict on stress levels, or how supportive behaviours can boost mental wellbeing. The aim is to directly address the behavioural elements in your workplace that could support or degrade mental wellness and offer constructive tools for improvement.
In the context of Australian workplaces, you can also consider incorporating information from the Australian National Employment Standards and the Fair Work Act's obligations on providing a safe and healthy workplace. By doing so, you're not only working towards improved mental wellbeing, but also ensuring your business remains compliant with national legislation and guidelines.
Step by step instructions
Define Behavioural Competencies: Identify the behavioural competencies essential within your workplace. These could include teamwork, leadership, communication skills, problem-solving, adaptability, etc. Conduct a thorough examination of the skills, knowledge and attitudes your workforce should embody to perform optimally.
Set Session Objectives: Set clear objectives for your awareness sessions, based on the unique needs of your workplace. A clear objective can help in maintaining the focus of the session. For instance, the session objective could be 'to increase awareness of the impact of positive communication on mental health'.
Utilise Accredited Mental Health Resources: Make use of resources from accredited mental health organisations or educational institutions. Incorporate these resources into your session content to ensure accuracy and reliability. National mental health organisations in Australia, like Beyond Blue and the Black Dog Institute, offer a myriad of resources.
Conduct the Session: Select a convenient schedule and comfortable setting where your employees can relax, express themselves freely and engage fully. Ensure the session runs as planned and addresses all intended topics.
Understand the Link between: Behavioural Competencies and Mental Wellness Research well-established links between different behaviours and mental health. Understand how different behaviours can impact mental wellness positively or negatively. This knowledge will underpin the way you design and deliver your sessions.
Plan and Design the Sessions: Plan your sessions strategically. This should involve deciding on the content and structure of the awareness sessions, including theoretical explanations, real-life examples, interactive exercises, and discussions you want to incorporate.
Invite a Mental Health Professional: Invite a mental health professional to contribute to the session. Their expertise can ensure your session is informative and credible. They can also answer any complex questions employees might have.
Encourage Participation and Open Discussion: Engage with your workforce during the session. Encourage their participation and foster an open discussion, as this could improve the overall impact of the session.
Use this template to implement
To ensure you can execute seamlessly, download the implementation template.
Pitfalls to avoid
Ensure you are well-versed with the Australian legal system concerning mental health and the workplace. There are various laws and regulations, like the Disability Discrimination Act 1992, which protects individuals from discrimination due to a disability, including mental health disorders. Misunderstanding these laws may lead to legal consequences.
Workplaces are often culturally diverse, and it is important to be sensitive to this diversity while addressing mental health subjects. Ignorance may lead to lacklustre engagement and potential harm.
Failing to consult with mental health professionals can lead to inaccurate information being circulated. Ensure you involve professionals in designing your campaign for the most effective, accurate and sensitive delivery.
Undertaking an awareness campaign without detailed planning can lead to confusion and ineffective delivery. Be sure to establish clear objectives, the competencies required, resources available, and the target audience.
Inconsistent or mixed signals about behavioural changes and mental health can confuse the employees and undermine your awareness campaign. Make sure your messaging is clear, consistent, and matches up with your corporate values and aims.
If the stigma surrounding mental health is not acknowledged and addressed, the impact of your awareness campaign could be significantly reduced.