How to Encourage Better Mental Health Through Remote Team Building
Discover the benefits of team building on your employee's mental health. Plus, 4 virtual team building activities that can help you support employee mental health. Read to learn more!
The topic of mental health issues at work is becoming more and more visible, with sometwo-thirds of full-time workers having experienced burnout in their careers. Plus, 43% of Millennials and 44% of Gen Z workers have recently left a job as a direct result of burnout.
As employers across all industries strive to combat stress at their companies, we’ll take a closer look at how you can offer mental health support to your employees, and explore how remote team building can encourage better mental health in the workplace.
How to get started 👉 Book Health & Wellness Team Building Activities with Confetti!
So what do mental health challenges and burnout in the workplace look like?
Common mental health concerns in the office may include:
Stress and Burnout: High workloads, long hours, and tight deadlines can lead to excessive stress and burnout, with signs including irritability, fatigue, a lack of concentration, and feelings of overwhelm 😩
Anxiety Disorders: Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), social anxiety, and panic disorder can manifest in the workplace as excessive worry, restlessness, difficulty making decisions, and avoidance of certain tasks or social interactions 😥
Depression: Persistent sadness, loss of interest in work, decreased energy, changes in appetite or sleep patterns, and difficulty concentrating are symptoms of depression that can impact job performance and employee morale 😔
Work-Life Imbalance: Struggling to juggle work and personal responsibilities can lead to feelings of guilt, exhaustion, and decreased satisfaction both at work and in their personal life 😣
What mental health resources can you offer employees?
Mental Health Days: Offer additional paid days off that are specifically designated for mental health. At Confetti, we call these "Take What You Need Days". 📅
Expanded Employee Assistance Programs (EAP): Expand your employee assistance program offerings by including mental health services like virtual therapy sessions, counseling hotlines, and access to mental health providers and apps that provide resources for meditation, journaling, and mood tracking. ✏️
Peer Support Networks: Establish peer support networks where employees can connect with colleagues who have experienced similar mental health challenges. This creates a sense of community and allows for informal mentorship and encouragement. 🫂
Flexible Work Arrangements: Implement flexible work arrangements, such as remote work options or flexible hours, to accommodate employees' varying mental health needs and preferences. This can help reduce stress associated with commuting and promote work-life balance. 🧑💻
Subscription Services: Offer subscriptions to mental health and wellness platforms that provide resources like guided meditation sessions, online therapy, fitness classes, and nutritional guidance. Providing access to diverse resources allows employees to choose what best suits their needs. 📱
Financial Wellness Programs: Recognize the impact of financial stress on mental health by offering financial wellness programs. These can include workshops on budgeting, retirement planning, debt management, and access to financial advisors for personalized guidance. 💸
In addition to your mental health coverage, support mental health with team building experiences by Confetti! 🙌 Let’s take a look at some of the biggest employee mental health benefits of team building.
The mental benefits of team building:
Stress reduction: Engaging in enjoyable and lighthearted team activities can help alleviate stress by providing a break from the demands of work. Activities like games, outdoor challenges, or creative workshops allow employees to unwind, have fun, and recharge, which can boost morale and overall well-being. 🙌
Social connections: Team building activities allow employees to interact with colleagues outside of their usual work context. These activities build social connections and friendships, which are essential for creating a sense of belonging and support in the workplace. 🧩
A sense of purpose: Team building activities that are aligned with the organization's values and company culture goals can reinforce a sense of purpose among employees. When individuals feel connected to a common purpose and understand how their contributions impact the team's success, it can enhance job satisfaction and provide a sense of fulfillment, which are important factors for mental well-being. ❤️
Coping skills: Some team building activities involve problem-solving challenges or scenarios that require creativity, resilience, and adaptability. Engaging in these activities can help employees develop valuable coping skills that they can apply to navigate challenges in both their personal and professional lives, contributing to increased resilience and mental well-being. 🧠
4 ideas for encouraging better mental health through remote team building 😌
1. Virtual Mindfulness Classes 🧘
Mindfulness classes are one of the most direct and accessible team building activities managers can use to improve workplace mental and physical health. Led by a practiced instructor, these classes will run participants through a gentleguided meditation session designed to help them relax and put their stressors in perspective.
In these sessions, your team is given actionable tips and tools to assess how to healthily approach a work-life balance.
Recognition sessions are a specified time for everyone to get together in a video call and give any shout-outs for hard work and achievements that happened in the week prior. These are great for ensuring that employees feel seen by their coworkers and feel encouraged to perform at their best.
With a reduced level of regular peer-to-peer interaction, many remote workers can do with a little reminder that their effort is being seen, recognized, and appreciated.
Another great activity for stress relief, virtual tea tastings bring teams together to sample a variety of calming teas, while learning interesting tidbits about their histories and preparation. This activity places a lot of emphasis on relaxation and mindfulness and manages to be memorable and unique without straying into expensive or inconvenient territory.
Studies have long shown the tea plant’s interaction with our brains leads to a feeling of relaxation without drowsiness!
How to get started 👉 Steep into relaxation in this virtual tea tasting experience!
4. Virtual Escape Rooms 🧩
This team building activity is perfect for building community among remote employees. With a wide variety of themes and backstories, these games require teams to find clues, solve puzzles, and work together to escape in time. Sometimes, we need a lighthearted setting of an escape room to remind us that when we support each other, we’re more likely to succeed.
This activity is a great way to stimulate some easy-going conversation, during and after, and build closer working relationships while unwinding at the same time.
If you’re worried about the state of mental health in your employee experience, we hope this article has given you some great ideas to bring your team closer together and help everyone de-stress.
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