Mental health is an important topic when it comes to health and safety, but still, it is somewhat overlooked by the people and doesn’t get the importance it deserves. Most of us have the habit of keeping things to ourselves, which build up pressure and sometimes one day we burst out in tears or anger.
This practice is sometimes overlooked, but that is the wrong approach to take. This is why talking about mental health should be made essential. Working hard to make people understand the importance of mental health is what a good mental health awareness toolbox talk is all about.
It is a known fact that work burden and stress negatively affect our minds, and the unbalance we create between our personal and professional lives just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Talking about day-to-day mental health and creating a balance in our life will bring clarity, and we will be able to enjoy the little things around us which we don’t otherwise.
Toolbox talks for mental health should be specially written to create awareness and develop understanding among the employees of a workplace. The main issue is to figure out what should be added in the toolbox talk to make it efficient and interesting, so people don’t lose interests while it is carried out.
Here is a guide for you to follow, which will enable you to convey your message and all the details effectively to the audience.
What is Mental Health?
It would help if you started by clearing the wrong ideas about mental health, outlining it is not something just made up. Explaining what it really is will help you make the foundation on what to build the remaining part of the toolbox talk.
Mental health in the workplace should be about being so mentally relaxed that you can easily and comfortably deal with any difficulty or stressful situation that comes your way throughout the day. Being supportive and motivating towards others and meeting people on your best behavior are all elements that help avoid incidents of mental health.
Why is Mental Health Important?
Talking about the importance of mental health is the most important aspect of a mental health awareness toolbox talk. You have to explain to people why mental health is important and how it can positively affect their lives.
Mental health controls our feelings, emotions and psychological state, along with our well-being. By not caring about it or giving it enough attention, we are sabotaging ourselves for the worst. To make your toolbox talk successful, you have to present mental health’s importance with utmost passion and simplicity, so that people can understand it.
Discuss the Statistics
Discussing statistics and numbers generates curiosity and the audience will pay closer attention to the discussion because they feel it has relevance. When you inform people about how many people suffer from mental problems and each year the number is increasing substantially, it will get their attention and they will take the whole conversation more seriously.
Talk About the Warning Signs of Mental Illness
Because of our hectic life’s and always busy schedule, we often neglect surrounding people and ourselves. By talking about the warning signs, you are getting people pay attention to their own mental health and that of others.
You should add some signs in your toolbox talk such as:
- Sudden personality changes. If the person is not their usual self and is acting different compared to how they normally do.
- Feeling of isolation and unnecessary anger or mood swings.
- They suddenly lose interest in taking care of themselves.
- Are showing dismissive behavior towards people and things.
Including these make people aware of what to look out for. However, you should also talk about what to do and who to contact when they notice these signs in themselves or people around them.
Talk About the Ways to Overcome Mental Problems
In this section, you should inform people about the mentally healthy lifestyle changes they need to make in their lives to improve mental health. You should talk about how they can prevent the issues by just doing a few additional things for themselves, such as:
- Trying to bring balance into personal and professional life.
- Taking some time off to relax.
- Discussing their problems with a loved one or a therapist.
- Exercise regularly.
- Reading about mental health and giving it the importance, it deserves.
In the end, make sure you motivate them to take care of themselves and that problems are preventable if you take the right approach.
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