Mental health has become one of this year’s hot topics, with everyone from celebrities to royalty doing their bit to raise public awareness. It’s also been a real focus politically, becoming a major selling point to the party manifesto – all promising campaigns, staffing and funding in return for your vote. So, as the country wakes up to the importance of managing mental health issues it’s important that businesses do the same. It’s estimated that three in ten employees will experience mental health problems in any one year, with work-life balance being a major catalyst for this. Make sure you are looking after your health as well as your books and know how to spot the signs when your staff are struggling.

‘The pressure of an increasingly demanding work culture in the UK is perhaps the biggest and most pressing challenge to the mental health of the general population’- Mental Health Foundation

In a digital age when we are reachable 24/7 and can work from almost anywhere, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to separate work life from home life as the former tends to take over. Working extra hours is normal and sometimes necessary for the busy professional, but it’s important to recognise when the work to life ratio is an unhealthy one.

The Mental Health Foundation performed a survey into the effects of an unhealthy work-life balance, some of the findings were:

• One third of respondents feel unhappy or very unhappy about the time they devote to work
• More than 40% of employees are neglecting other aspects of their life because of work, which may increase their vulnerability to mental health problems
• Nearly two thirds of employees have experienced a negative effect on their personal life, including lack of personal development, physical and mental health problems, and poor relationships and poor home life

The results of the survey highlight just how much of a big problem this is and how important it is that people have an understanding as to how their work schedule is effecting themselves or their team. There are however many ways in which you can help yourself to ensure your approach to work doesn’t impact on your health.

Some of the tips that the Mental Health Foundation advised were:

• Take personal responsibility for your work-life balance. This includes speaking up when work expectations and demands are too much. Employers need to be aware of where the pressures lie in order to address them.
• Take proper breaks at work, for example by taking at least half an hour for lunch and getting out of the workplace if you can.
• Take seriously the link between work-related stress and mental ill health. Try to reduce stress, for example through exercise, relaxation or hobbies.

There are also several ways in which you as an employer or Manager can ensure that the workplace you provide contributes to improving the work/life balance of your team:

• Develop policies that acknowledge the association between work related stress and mental health. These policies should also describe the roles and responsibilities of employees at all levels in the organisation in promoting mental health, and describe mechanisms to support staff who experience mental health problems
• Allow staff to attend counselling and support services during working hours as they would for other medical appointments
• Encourage activities that promote good mental health, for example lunchtime exercise or relaxation classes

To find out more about the research, tips and tools from the Mental Health Foundation, read the full article.