How to use technology to support employee mental health?
Over the past couple of years, employers have started to realise the need to help boost employee wellbeing. Ensuring their workers are happy and healthy provides numerous benefits for businesses; businesses have also come to realise that technology can be a positive force for wellness and mental health, as it can provide 24/7 access to resources and educational tools that help staff manage stress, burn off steam, and make healthier choices daily. It’s a no-brainer – by tapping into technology’s unlimited potential, you can keep peoples’ mental wellbeing at the forefront of your employee experience and help your people live their best lives, at work, at home, and wherever the two come together.
Here are some ways tech can support the mental health of your people.
Take your wellbeing initiatives online.
Mental health doesn’t have an off switch, and neither should access your employee benefits. Fitness and wellbeing have gone virtual thanks to 2020, and your workplace can continue to help people keep up with their goals by integrating mindfulness apps, fitness trackers and online group exercises into your corporate wellness program. The bonus is moving them online makes them accessible at any time.
Communicate discreetly and efficiently.
This is simple – you probably already have an internal comms system that staff are using daily. Why not take advantage of your platform and encourage regular contact and support from leadership teams whenever staff need it. Utilising this technology’s benefit can help you reach out to your team more directly, engagingly and discreetly if necessary.
Use technology to manage time and productivity,
One of the most obvious uses of technology to support mental health is how it can help staff be productive, organised, and effective in time management. Messaging apps allow for quick communication, and shared online platforms allow for easy access to information faster, which helps relieve stress and panic. Encourage your team to harness the time-saving power of modern technology.
It gives people the freedom to work from anywhere.
As tech innovations continue, people want increased flexibility. How this helps with mental health is in its capacity to lower the stress and panic attached to life-admin and the responsibilities of being human. Suppose you or your staff need to attend doctors appointments close to home or a dependant requires care – with the appropriate devices, you have the flexibility to perform work duties from anywhere while still maintaining connection and interaction with your workplace.