Prioritizing mental health in the workplace, tips for work-life balance

HOUSTON - Mental health affects every part of our lives and it's becoming an important topic in the workplace. Recent surveys suggest 76 percent of U.S. workers reported at least one symptom of a mental health condition. It's why companies are prioritizing mental well-being by adding mental health days, on-demand therapy, and wellness apps to support employee mental health.

"We're constantly doing check-ins through surveys asking people, do you feel supported? Do you feel comfortable talking to your supervisor? Do you have the resources that you need to be successful in your role," said Johana Lopez with Workforce Solutions.

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Like other companies, Workforce Solutions has figured out ways to get creative to prevent burnout and boost morale.

"We do some challenges, you know, water in-take challenge so whoever drinks the most water during the week, whoever does more exercising or healthy habits, you know, food and things like that healthy snacks in the workplace," Lopez said.

She says they also train companies on coaching, leadership, mental health, and stress management and that it's important for employers to lead by example.

Several Fortune 500 organizations like Goldman Sachs, Google, Apple, and Nike utilize mindful meditation for employee development, which in turn decreased health care costs while increasing the bottom line.

Baylor College of Medicine is another example, named Healthiest 100 Workplaces in America for the eighth year in 2022, recognized for prioritizing the well-being of its employees in a number of ways.

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"One of them is by establishing a frontline employee access program. EAP program so that people who need a kind of initial support or direction can access services immediately. Second, is that we provide direct psychiatric services for those that need something a little bit more," said Dr. Eric Storch, Professor & Vice Chair of Psychology at Baylor College of Medicine.

He says they've also expanded their Office of Student Mental Health and Office of Well-Being to provide more treatment, along with a plan to train the next generation on how to address mental health needs.

"Another project that we've done is develop out a program for working with parents of children who have anxiety that's freely available, but that teaches parents essentially how to be the therapist for their child's anxiety," Dr. Storch said.

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Although employers have made a lot of progress, Lopez says not all companies know how to offer help or resources to provide supportive and preventative care.

"That's why it's important to provide training on mental health and how to do things not just knowing here are the resources but how to get access to the resources, how you can start a conversation about mental health," Lopez said.

Here are some resources to see what employers prioritize employee well-being:

• 15 Companies That Prioritize the Mental Health of Their Employees
• Fortune '100 Best Companies to Work For' is out. Here's the top 10, and which companies were added

By law, most health insurance providers must cover mental health benefits the same way they cover physical health benefits.

To read more about the increment of mental health cases before and after COVID, click here.

If you want to find out more about how to seek help, here are a few resources:

• Tips to fostering a mentally health workplace:
• Mental Health Parity Act: It's a federal law that health insurance providers must cover mental health and substance use disorder benefits the same way they cover physical health benefits.

SUGGESTED: Apps for mental health, wellness & building healthy habits

Here are a few apps to help with mindfulness and healthy living which includes Calm, Balance, and Headspace.