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10 strategies to boost yout team mental health

10 Strategies to Boost Your Team’s Mental Health in 2025

28/05/2025

A friend of mine recently shared a story about their workplace transformation. He worked in a demanding industry, where stress was part of the daily routine. However, after their company introduced a series of mental health initiatives, including comprehensive mental health training, the atmosphere shifted.

Employees felt heard and supported, leading to increased productivity and overall happiness. This experience underscores the critical role of mental health in fostering a thriving workplace.

“Our workplace transformed after attending the WMHI’s training. Employees felt heard and supported, leading to improved morale and productivity. Prioritising mental health made a lasting positive impact on our culture—these training sessions are essential for any organisation.”

As we move through 2025, mental health should be a top priority for organisations. Here are ten ways to improve mental health in your workplace:

  1. Implement Mental Health Training

Mental health training is the cornerstone of building an informed and supportive workplace. At the Workplace Mental Health Institute, our programs empower managers and employees to recognise the signs of mental health challenges and respond with confidence and care. By taking a proactive approach, we enable early intervention and cultivate a workplace culture that truly prioritises the well-being of its people.

How To:

  • Training should offer practical advice on creating a positive workplace.
  • Encourage an open and stigma-free culture where getting help is the norm.
10 strategies to boost yout team mental health

  1. Promote Open Conversations

A workplace culture that encourages open dialogue about mental health can break down stigma. This openness can lead to a more connected and understanding workforce. BUT, there is such a thing as talking too much about it and making it worse! So beware.

How To:

  • Establish a work culture in which mental health discussions are encouraged but not required.
  • Train managers to handle such discussions with tact and empathy.
  • Strike a balance—talking about mental health should be helpful and not taxing.

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  1. Flexible Working Arrangements

The traditional 9-to-5 work model is evolving. Flexibility acknowledges the diverse needs of employees and supports their mental health.

How To:

  • Offer flexible work arrangements such as teleworking, variable schedules, or compressed workweeks.
  • Focus on outcomes rather than strict schedules.
  • Trust the staff to manage their time in a way that will be productive and well-balanced.

  1. Create a Wellness Program

A comprehensive wellness program goes beyond physical health.  A robust wellness program equips employees with tools to manage their mental health proactively and include mindfulness sessions, resilience workshops, and stress management training.

How To:

  • Incorporate activities like mindfulness exercises, guided meditation, or well-being challenges.
  • Encourage participation through engaging and inclusive programs.
  • Gather input from employees to keep initiatives relevant and effective.

  1. Provide Access to Resources

Ensure employees have access to mental health resources such as Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), counseling services, or mental health apps.

How To:

  • Work with mental health professionals to offer confidential counseling services.
  • Share information about available resources regularly, so employees know where to turn when they need help.
  • Normalise using these resources from the top down—if leadership participates, others will follow.

  1. Encourage Breaks

Encouraging regular breaks is crucial for maintaining mental health. Short, frequent breaks can help employees recharge and refocus, preventing burnout.

How To:

  • Integrate breaks into the work culture in the form of a walk, stretching exercises, or simply taking a break from the screens.
  • Establish areas where employees can take breaks and relax.
  • Set the example—when managers take breaks, employees will be comfortable doing the same.

Are you a psychologically safe manager? Take the self assessment to find out.

  1. Recognise and Reward Efforts

Recognition goes a long way in boosting morale and reducing stress. Feeling valued can significantly impact an employee’s mental well-being.

How To:

  • Express thanks through verbal compliments, handwritten thank-you notes, or team recognition.
  • Celebrate wins—small or significant—so employees understand that what they do counts.
  • Customise the recognition to personal preferences; maybe they would love public recognition or just a personal thank you.

  1. Foster a Supportive Environment

Creating a supportive environment involves establishing policies and practices that prioritise mental health.

How To:

  • Develop clear expectations that support work-life balance.
  • Empower managers with the tools to facilitate effective support to teams.
  • Address workplace challenges with an emphasis on well-being instead of just productivity.

  1. Offer Professional Development

Professional growth opportunities contribute to employee satisfaction and mental well-being. Offer training, workshops, and courses that not only advance careers but also include components on managing stress and building resilience.

How To:

  • Invest in employee learning opportunities to allow employees to grow professionally and personally.
  • Encourage peer learning and mentoring to promote a sense of belonging.
  • Keep development accessible—learning shouldn’t add stress, it should inspire growth.

  1. Regularly Assess Workplace Wellbeing

Continual assessment of workplace well-being ensures that mental health strategies remain effective and relevant.

How To:

  • Communicate with staff through surveys or one-on-one conversations.
  • Pay attention to workplace trends—burnout, absenteeism, or disengagement may be a sign that change is in order.
  • Adjust approaches according to actual feedback, not on the assumption of what works.

Applying the above ten tips will go a long way into turning your workplace into a place where people and productivity thrive.

PS. At WMHI, we specialise in creating customised mental health training programs that address the unique needs of each workplace. Our expert team is dedicated to helping your organisation build a thriving, supportive environment. Contact us today to learn more about how we can partner with you to prioritise mental health and achieve lasting positive change.

worklife may 2025

Read the latest issue of the WorkLife magazine – Building Safe Workplaces

stonewalling communication

How Stonewalling Sabotages Communication and How to Stop It

04/07/2023

Communication is the basis of all human interactions. It lets us say what we want, share ideas, and make real relationships. Unfortunately, stonewalling is a bad habit that often gets in the way of good conversation. Stonewalling is when someone tries to avoid or ignore attempts to talk or connect on purpose. This behavior, which is caused by worry or being defensive, makes it hard for people to understand each other. In this blog post, we’ll talk more about the negative effects of stonewalling, look into why people do it, and talk about how open conversation, active listening, and empathy can help us get past this problem and build stronger relationships and a better understanding.

Understanding Stonewalling:

Stonewalling can look like avoiding someone, pulling away physically, or changing the subject over and over again.

stonewalling communication

It can also take the form of shouting over the other person’s words. But no matter what form it takes, the underlying message is always the same: that you don’t care what the other person has to say. By putting up mental walls, stonewalling stops people from talking to each other and makes them feel alone, unheard, and disconnected. Stonewalling leads to frustration, anger, and a lack of real connection, whether it happens in personal or professional interactions.

Don't forget to subscribe to our monthly eMag - WorkLife

Expert insights and tips on how to build resilient and mentally healthy workplace cultures delivered straight to your inbox each month.

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Seeing the Behavior:

To get past stonewalling, the first step is to see the behavior in ourselves and others. It’s good to aks ourselves, ‘Where do I do this to others? Where do I shut others down because I find it hard to hear their opinion?’ Getting to know ourselves and being kind to ourselves and those around us are very important. When we find ourselves being stubborn, it is important to think about why we are acting that way. Are we trying to avoid pain, strife, or hard truths? When we know why we do something bad, we can deal with the problems that are making us do it.

Open conversation can help build bridges:

Open discussion is a great way to break down walls of stonewalling. By talking to each other in an honest and open way, we build an atmosphere of trust and mutual understanding. Listening actively is a very important part of this process. When we really listen to others, we support their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. This shows that we want to connect with them and help them feel empathy.

Also, empathy is the most important part of good dialogue. It lets us put ourselves in other people’s shoes, see things from their point of view, and react with compassion. Empathy gives us the power to bridge gaps, turn conflicts into learning experiences, and build bridges instead of walls.

Are you a psychologically safe manager? Take the self assessment to find out.

How to Make Friends:

Communication is more than just words; it’s about making real relationships with other people. We can make our relationships better if we stop stonewalling and start talking, listening, and showing empathy instead. These habits help people understand each other better, make it safe to be vulnerable, and make it easier to solve problems. As we learn to use the power of connection, we learn important things about each other. This makes our relationships stronger and improves our personal and professional lives.

Open conversation helps us grow as people by making us more self-aware and giving us a wider view of things. Through open conversation, we hear different points of view, which makes us question our assumptions and helps us learn more about the world. This helps people feel like they belong, respect, and value the different experiences and thoughts of others.

Effective communication is the key to teamwork, collaboration, and the success of a company in the business world. By having open conversations, actively listening, and showing empathy, we build a work environment that values the contributions of each person. This leads to more imagination, new ideas, and the ability to solve problems as a group.

In a world where good communication is the lifeblood of human relationships, stonewalling puts up obstacles that stop people from understanding each other and growing as people. To stop this behavior, we must first be able to see it in ourselves and others. By becoming more self-aware, being kind, and practicing open, active listening and empathy, we can break down the walls of stonewalling and make relationships that are stronger. Let’s not forget that conversation isn’t just about what we say; it’s also about how we connect with the people around us. We can build a world where understanding, sensitivity, and cooperation thrive, making our lives and the lives of those we meet better.

Author: Peter Diaz
Peter Diaz profile

Peter Diaz is the CEO of Workplace Mental Health Institute. He’s an author and accredited mental health social worker with senior management experience. Having recovered from his own experience of bipolar depression, Peter is passionate about assisting organisations to address workplace mental health issues in a compassionate yet results-focussed way. He’s also a Dad, Husband, Trekkie and Thinker.

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