Mental Fitness: What Is It and Why Does It Matter in the Workplace?

Today, mental fitness in the workplace is just as important as physical fitness, and employers across all industries are encouraged to give mental fitness as much thought when designing an employee benefits plan for their employees.

In the past, many organizations believed that employee benefits plans should focus on an employee’s physical health and fitness. However, recent trends have shown that the mental fitness of employees truly deserves just as much attention.

Here are several tips on how to protect your employees’ mental health in these trying times.

Within this article by Pacific Prime, we’ll look into what is mental fitness, why it matters in the workplace, and what employers can offer to promote mental fitness.

What is Mental Fitness?

A person’s mental fitness refers to their ability to think clearly and make decisions quickly and effectively. It’s similar to physical fitness, which is about the body’s ability to function properly.

It can also be defined as having and maintaining a state of well-being and having a positive awareness of how we think, behave, and feel. Simply put, it means keeping your brain and emotional health in good shape.

For instance, our family history and environment have an impact on our physical health, which shapes our fitness goals. If heart diseases run in the family, goals may include eating well, exercising regularly, and keeping low cholesterol and sugar levels.

This also applies to mental health. Our family history and environment make us prone to certain mental health conditions. However, many don’t set specific goals for staying mentally fit.

For example, if anxiety issues run in the family, goals could include journaling, meditation, getting enough sleep, and managing stress and anxiety levels.

Thus, we should approach mental fitness the same way we do with physical fitness. Being proactive with goals tailored to our individual needs and risk factors can help preserve mental well-being.

Why Mental Fitness Matters in the Workplace

If the management demonstrates and leads with a mentally fit mindset, that consciousness will spread throughout the organization. Companies that prioritize being self-aware, mindful, and focused are more likely to be successful.

Mental fitness is about strengthening your mind to be able to deal with the stresses and anxieties that come from uncertainties, pressures, and expectations.

It can help those working to focus better on the task at hand and be able to resolve problems easily and efficiently. In fact, organizations with employees who are self-aware, mindful, and focused are likely to succeed better and achieve their goals.

According to one particular study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, there are certain memory training exercises that can help increase “fluid intelligence,” which is the ability to reason and solve new problems in unique and novel situations.

Fluid intelligence is essential for all industries as it allows employees to embrace the situation, find the most efficient way to get things done and pick the right solutions for their problems.

What Can Employers Do to Promote Mental Fitness?

Employers can do a lot to support employees and their mental fitness. To help employees become mentally fit, it’s encouraged to establish a positive co-working company culture that promotes interaction and support between employees.

Employers can try a few things that can stimulate their employee’s mental fitness, as shown below:

Encouraging Workplace Reading

It is true that we read emails, reports, presentations, files, documents, and more, day in and day out when we are working. But what about taking some alone time to read a book of interest?

Companies across all industries can help support their employee’s mental fitness by implementing workplace reading programs and/or book clubs.

In general, mental fitness can be greatly improved by reading books and sharing stories with other colleagues. It is linked to improved vocabulary, and understanding of concepts and principles, and can unlock abstract reasoning abilities.

In turn, reading a book can make employees feel less stressed and emotionally happier.

Daydreaming

The concept of daydreaming can sound slightly inefficient from an organizational point of view, but giving employees an opportunity to spend some time alone to daydream away can actually promote mental fitness.

Normally, employees will be working away and forget to take the time to reflect and pause. It normally feels like a race rather than a marathon to get things done, and this can lead to employees burning out.

Employers can issue official policies that encourage employees to take a break from their area of work, cubicle, room, desk, and/or table. This approval can give employees a feeling of freedom to do literally nothing for a while or just find a spot to sit and daydream away.

For those that require complete concentration in their tasks like accounting and marketing teams, this can be a way to simply refresh themselves if they feel like their work is taking over.

Coaching

Just like physical fitness, coaching can help build mental strength and resilience. Employers can appoint coaches from their wellness programs to come in and support their employees.

It is effective to introduce new ways of thinking and concepts for practicing mental fitness. Trained coaches and/or psychologists can help identify specific mental obstacles or issues that prevent employees from reaching their fullest potential.

Foster Good and Clear Communication in the Workforce

For organizations to operate effectively, there needs to be good and effective leaders who can make clear-cut decisions, appoint the right solutions, and offer clear communication in activities related to the business.

Employees also need these qualities in a leader so they can identify their purpose and role in the company. It is easy to lose the wood for trees and at times employees may feel lost.

This can affect them mentally, which is why leaders have to be able to lead from the front and identify any issues or shortcomings.

Also, make it a company culture to talk openly about mental health. This shouldn’t only be limited to gossip, as all employees should have people in the office (usually HR) to talk to about these matters openly.

Keep an Active Lifestyle

Being active physically can help promote better mental health. For example, you can start by implementing a “Fitness Friday” where everyone stays after hours for a 30-minute group exercise session.

This routine motivates employees who may struggle to find time for physical activities alone. Plus, exercising together builds a sense of friendship and camaraderie.

During lunch breaks, try taking a walk around the office building or neighborhood. Even a simple 30-minute stroll can give you an energizing boost to keep your mind alert and focused throughout the afternoon.

Moreover, exercise offers mental health benefits too. Walking can give you the time to reflect and process stressors. This can lead to improved moods and elevated concentration levels once you return to work.

Pay Attention to Your Colleagues

The workplace should feel like a family. After all, your colleagues are the group of people you meet the most outside of friends and family. If you belong to the management bracket, i.e. owners, managers, and HR, you need to pay attention to your team members, and not only your tasks.

If someone seems troubled or upset, approach them privately. Make it clear that you’re someone they can openly talk to. Building a trusting relationship can make them feel comfortable sharing their problems with you.

Creating a supportive culture where people look out for each other can help foster a sense of belonging. You may never know what personal struggles your coworkers may be silently dealing with, be it money issues, family problems, and more.

When leaders make an effort to be approachable and understanding, it allows people to open up without fear. This sense of care and belonging provides a sense of comfort, just like a real family would.

5 Mental Fitness Exercises That Can Help You

There’s a common misconception that you have to be struggling with mental health issues to benefit from exercises that improve mental well-being.

But just like you don’t need to be out of shape to start exercising physically, you don’t need to be emotionally distressed to work on your mental fitness. After all, it’s about maintaining health, personal growth, and self-care.

Let’s take a look at some common mental fitness exercises you can do to help improve your mental health.

1. Meditation

Meditation involves focused attention and mental stillness. It can help you clear your mind, reduce anxiety, and achieve emotional balance.

With meditation, you can use your imagination to transport yourself to a calm place to briefly escape from reality and reduce stress.

How to do it: Find yourself a quiet space, sit comfortably, and close your eyes. Let go of stress and relax with each inhale and exhale. Imagine yourself in a calm, peaceful place, and focus on your breath for about 10 to 20 minutes.

2. Breathing Exercises

Practicing conscious breathing exercises can give you immediate stress relief and is quite simple to practice. Additionally, these exercises provide benefits for physical fitness.

How to do it: Find a comfortable sitting or lying position and inhale deeply through your nose, allowing your abdomen to expand. Hold your breath briefly and then exhale slowly through your mouth.

Repeat this process multiple times to redirect your focus away from stress and induce relaxation in your body.

3. Gratitude Journaling

Try writing down the things you are most thankful for each day. It can enhance your mood and emotional well-being, as it redirects your focus away from what’s stressing you to what gives you the most joy in life.

How to do it: Write down three things you are grateful for. It can be something as simple as a beautiful sunrise or as important as a loving family. This is not about forgetting your problems, but rather shifting your focus away from thoughts that distress you to what makes you feel happy.

4. Sleep

Getting quality sleep is always recommended in any situation, but it’s an often overlooked mental health exercise.

Sure, a nap in this case can be a form of exercise, and more importantly, a good night’s sleep can significantly enhance your mood, memory, and ability to handle stress.

How to do it: Try to get at least seven to nine hours of sleep each night. Maintain a consistent sleep schedule (on weekends, too!) and make your bedroom a calm, relaxing place.

5. Connect with Others and with Nature

Spending your time outdoors and socializing are proven ways to enhance your mental well-being.

How to do it: Schedule a meet-up with your friends or family at least once a week. Also, try spending some time in nature. Think of a picnic in a park, a 15-minute stroll in your neighborhood, or trying to pick up gardening, to name a few.

Further Reading: Mental Health-related Topics

Pacific Prime’s insurance experts cover many health trends including mental health. All of them can be found on the blog page, with some mentioned below:

• How to Set Boundaries to Improve Your Mental Health
• What Can Employers Do to Protect Their Employee’s Mental Health? 
• World Mental Health Day: 3 Essential Ways to Boost Your Mental Health
• 3 Common Mental Health Challenges in the Workplace

Get In Touch with Pacific Prime’s Corporate Insurance Experts

Pacific Prime is a global health insurance broker specializing in group and corporate health insurance plans and employee benefits helping individual, family, and corporate clients secure best-value insurance solutions.

Corporate clients who are interested in designing effective employee benefits plans for their employee’s mental fitness can contact us and proceed with speaking to an employee benefits expert upon contact.

A range of insurance solutions is offered including corporate insurance, group health insurance, as well as flexible benefits plans, wellness programs, and packages.

Get in touch today for a free quote!

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Veerabhatr Sriyananda

Content Writer at Pacific Prime

Veerabhatr is a content writer with over 6 years of experience with a particular penchant for storytelling and marketing, both in print and online. He now works with an experienced team of writers at Pacific Prime, aiming to shed light on the essence and benefits of insurance for companies and individuals by creating engaging, informative content across multiple platforms.

After obtaining his Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences, International Relations from Mahidol University International College, Veerabhatr has forged his career as a content writer in the travel, lifestyle, and real estate industries, writing in both English and Thai. He now continues to hone his skills as a writer at Pacific Prime, looking to engage and educate the audience by simplifying insurance.

Writer by day, and a DJ by night, Veerabhatr is a staunch music lover, and listens to all spectrums of genres available. He also loves to drink beer (moderately), eat all types of food, go to the beach, and learn about different cultures across the globe. He is also a die-hard fan of football and motorsports.

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