How to Talk about Mental Wellness with Your Colleagues

by Caryl Teh

Your teammates are often going through more than they show. But it’s not easy to discuss mental health. Especially with your colleagues. And especially when one of the things stressing you out is work. But bottling everything up will only make you feel overwhelmed, burnt out, extra sensitive and snippy towards those around you, and is just downright bad for your mental health.

So today we’ll be exploring how you can make it less daunting for yourself and your teammates to approach the subject of mental wellness and support each other better.

1. Create a safe space

Let your teammates know that they should feel comfortable enough to open up if they want to, without expectation. This doesn’t mean you should force them to talk or make a big deal out of something if the relevant person has chosen not to. It’s about giving them a choice. Especially if you’re a team manager, an effective way to normalise the subject for your team is to be open to share your own struggles. But only if you’re comfortable doing so.

2. Listen first – let them speak without rushing to offer solutions

Your teammate will probably feel more cared about when you don’t immediately assume that you already understand EXACTLY what they are going through. Sometimes they aren’t looking for a solution or another point of view. What might help them more is a listening ear; a sounding board who will give them space to verbally process or paint a clearer picture of what they’re going through. This helps them more than you think and they’ll appreciate your genuine attention.

3. Don’t overstep

Listening doesn’t mean you’ve taken on the role of a therapist to diagnose or psychoanalyse your co-worker. If they need more help than you can give, don’t be afraid to guide them to a professional. It may feel like a cop-out, but it isn’t – it’s really in everyone’s best interests when you point them to someone who is equipped with specific training, expertise and resources.

4. Continue to check-in

Mental health issues are rarely resolved in a single, check-the-box conversation. The best support often has some kind of follow up. So if professional help isn’t needed, make it a point to check back with your colleague over coffee or maybe a lunch date.

5. Champion mental health and well-being resources

Become an advocate for mental health at work. Check what policies or resources your HR team has in place to support mental wellness. Maybe start an employee resource group, create a pre-meeting relaxation time or weekly after-office-hour walks a thing. If you come across a potentially helpful webinar, organised by Women @ YTL or YTL Construction for example, invite your whole team to sign up for it. While helping others, just make sure you don’t forget to care for yourself as well – don’t feel obligated to sacrifice your mental health for that of someone else’s. We hope these pointers make it easier for your team to be open about things they’re struggling with and help you make wiser decisions on how you can better support each other.