Be “very productive” with mental health technology
You will have noticed that within your modern workspace there is a focus on becoming very productive with the mental health of employees being a focal point for businesses to achieve that goal. Along with this attention, a variety of technologies have sprung up to assist us with achieving a strong mental health for employers and employees in the workforce.
EAPs and similar solutions focusing on counselling and treatment have been available for a while, but it’s interesting to see how some more innovative services are starting to focus on stress and wellbeing levels tracking to improve prevention and detection of possible mental health struggles at work.
Technological advances have significantly enhanced the world of work and contributed to employee satisfaction and good mental health which supports the business goal of becoming very productive. Video conferencing platforms have revolutionised the way that we work and allowed organisations to hire globally yet stay virtually connected and a whole host of solutions that empower workplace wellbeing through technology are now available to explore.
Let’s delve into some of the ways that technology can promote employee wellbeing to improve workplace mental health and put both employers and employees in the driving seat of managing the workforce’s mental health.
Mindfulness and Meditation Apps
This is something that you might have come across before, since there are several apps offering mindfulness and meditation solutions for the workplace.
At the core of services likes these, lies a range of a range of mindfulness programs that employees can work through at their own pace which will help them to feel empowered, become very productive and in control when it comes to improving their mental health.
These apps can be a useful tool to de-stress, re-centre and gain back focus on particularly stressful days. They are a good ally to tackle head on problems which can arise from stress in the workplace such as burnout, disengagement, sick days and strained relationships, and they are certainly a useful tool that HR departments in organisations can explore as an employee wellness benefit.
Mindfulness and meditation apps for employees are also a good tech-in-pocket resource, allowing access to a wide range of sleep stories, nature sounds, guided meditation paths and breathing exercises. Some even have soothing colouring patterns that you can enjoy on your phone, to unwind after a tough day.
Some mindfulness apps and platforms provide ‘bite-sized’ interactive courses that are tailored to specific areas of life. This would allow you to choose a course that best suits your individual needs and really delve into personal improvement. From better sleep quality to managing anxiety you’re bound to find a course that will match what you are looking for.
Online Counselling and Therapy Apps
There are several services available online both via platforms and apps that make counselling and therapy easier than ever to access.
It is important to recognise when to ask for help in times of struggling, and there is no doubt that having a valuable therapist or counsellor available is key to your mental health and can help you overcome trauma in an efficient way.
Technology has evolved quite a lot in recent years to ensure that when you sign up to services like these you get matched up to a specialist that is able to help you based on your needs. Usually, all it takes is a pre-screening questionnaire that searches the app database for the best therapist to match your requirements.
It is important to remember as well that online counselling and therapy apps make it easier to connect with your therapist via video-call should you wish to do so, making these services quicker and easier to access than the traditional face to face versions.
Apps to improve sleep quality
It goes without saying that one of the best ways to keep stress at bay is having a good sleep routine, but in reality, it’s not an easy thing to achieve: especially when we are already struggling with other stress sources, sleep is usually one of the first things that get negatively impacted.
This can create a difficult-to-break-cycle of not sleeping well because you are stressed followed by being stressed because you are not sleeping well, which can negatively reflect on your performance at work too.
Luckily, there are many apps and forms of technology that can help with that. Collectively known as “sleep apps”, some offer soothing and relaxing tunes such as white noise, music, nature sounds and guided meditations to help you fall asleep, while others act as advanced alarm clocks with many interesting features that collect data as you sleep to help monitoring your wellbeing.
Researchers are still cautious on affirming the validity of sleep apps as a whole in terms of science-backed sleep aid management: not all of them have been adequately studied or fully vetted at this stage, as opposed to more traditional research on sleep study, they are a useful motivational tool for people to make proactive lifestyle changes based on their findings.
If you wake up exhausted in the morning with no energy to tackle the work day ahead of you, try an app to improve sleep quality and help you feeling refreshed and energised.
Heart Health Tracking Apps
Some apps and solutions to tackle stress at work really take technology to the next level by allowing users to measure their heart health from their phone.
Technologies such as PPG and HRV make this possible, giving you a detailed rundown of your heart as well as tips of how to improve your heart health overall so you know what steps to take.
The PPG uses a light sensor to measure heart rate. You just need to place your index finger over their phone camera so the app can measure heart rate and rhythm. The heart rate variability provides detailed insight into the overall health of the heart as well as levels of energy, stress and tension.
These could be a good option if you are looking for a way to track your physical health and wellbeing alongside mental health, all from the easily accessible interface of your phone.
HeadClear
HeadClear is the only employee mental health solution for the modern organisation that fuses a focus on mental health with a popular science based application to support and improve employees mental health.
The unique app will allow you to measure your stress through answering a set of ten questions which will then generate an overall stress score. The app works uses an Artificial Intelligence System to highlight patterns, triggers and future events. This will let you track your scores over time which is really important as the stress score allows you or your coworkers to concentrate on certain areas that you should work on.
HeadClear is also integral to organisations as it helps to keep managers and employers aware of their organisations stress levels and take action before stress manifests.
The employer dashboard provides engagement and management tools to help you make informed decisions and provide employers with the opportunity to support your employees. This strategic wellbeing programme can help to reduce sick leave by 33%, reduce lost time by 40% and reduce work related incidents by 65%.
So, having an efficient well designed app to give you up-to-date information on your employees mental health and stress levels can save your organisation a considerable amount of both money and time through effectively managing your workforce’s mental health.