Mental health—let’s practice empathy

Mental health week is back this year. From May 2 through May 8, the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) invites you to practice empathy on a daily basis. For the 71st edition, let us create a space to support, share and listen to one another.

Earlier today, the CMHA held a virtual event (in French only) where three mental health workers emphasized the power of empathy and invited participants to put it into practice in their daily lives to help themselves and those around them.

To show your support for this important event and spread the word, a toolkit has been made available. It includes different graphic designs that you can print, use on your social networks or as a background in your virtual business meetings.

Mental health and remote work

Now that remote work is well established, new practices are taking root in the professional workplace. Employees are using digital technologies more extensively, which can make it hard to disconnect. But the merits of finding balance between your personal and professional life, respecting breaks and work hours, only highlights the importance of your right to log off.

The pandemic has led to a significant increase in anxiety among workers. Following the publication of numerous studies, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that cases of anxiety and depression around the world increased by 25%. Reasons for this trend are, among others, the pressure to perform at work and the many challenges that employees face, including temporary layoffs or professional retraining due to business closures.

As an employer, you can make a difference and many tools are available to help you support your team’s morale! Some companies do not hesitate to fight anxiety by implementing wellness programs at work, group activities or virtual happy hours.

After several difficult months, it is more important than ever to celebrate empathy, well-being and above all, people. Mental health is everyone’s responsibility, so do not hesitate to be attentive and listen to others, to be understanding and to put yourself in their shoes.