Mental Health Support in Your Workplace

Welcome to SMB Matters. I’m Rachel Sufczynski, Senior Benefits Communications Specialist for TriNet.

This podcast series takes a close look at the latest news and trends on a variety of topics related to running a successful small and medium sized business.

According to a 2022 survey conducted by Kaiser Family Foundation and CNN, 90% of the US public think that we are currently in a mental health crisis. Forbs reports that millions of Americans feel anxious, depressed or are experiencing other mental health challenges. This could include your employees, your family, your friends, or even yourself.

During Mental Health Awareness Month in May, we shine a light on this important topic, but the need does not end on June 1st.…which brings us to the point of this podcast. What can you, as a small or medium sized business leader, do to help foster a year-round environment of mental health support? Today we’ll take a look at several strategies by way of inspirational quotes.

Let’s get started. In the words of Winston Churchill, “Perfection is the enemy of progress.”

When cultivating an environment where employees feel supported, it’s important to set realistic expectations. The myth of perfection, and our inability to obtain it can inherently cause stress which may negatively impact mental health. The opposite of what we’re trying to achieve. Regardless of the how you choose to support mental health, normalize progress over perfection.

Now on to strategy. To quote fitness expert Bill Phillips , “…Exercise is the most potent and underrated antidepressant.”

How we live our daily lives can have a major impact on our mental health. Take nutrition for example. According to the Harvard Health blog -too much sugar can worsen symptoms of anxiety and depression by promoting inflammation. On the other hand, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America – (say that 3 times fast) as few as 5 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise can help reduce these symptoms. Exercise, nutrition, sleep and other lifestyle factors all play a part in our total health. What can your company do to foster a (mentally) healthier lifestyle for your employees? Consider providing a steady stream of bite size education each month. One month might cover quick and budget friendly healthier recipes, and the next month can promote any wellness benefits your company provides. And don’t forget, most medical carriers offer programs to help support a healthier lifestyle, typically at no additional cost. You can contact medical carrier directly to find out more.

On now on to one of my favorite quotes from Dr. Russ Harris - “Slow, deep breathing is important…it’s like an anchor in the midst of an emotional storm: the anchor won’t make the storm go away, but it will hold you steady until it passes” –

Dr. Harris recognized the power of our own breath. Stress doesn’t feel good a lot of the time. It can cause our muscles to tense up, and our heart rate, blood pressure and even blood sugar to rise. But during these inevitable moments of stress, we can learn to find our breath,… our anchor in the storm. Slow belly breathing fires up the parasympathetic nervous system, which can tell our body it can calm down and relax. Consider this exercise. Rate your current feelings of stress or anxiety on a scale of 1-10 –10 being the worst (do you have a #?). Next, take 3 deep belly breaths in through the nose….and out through the mouth…… I’ll wait a second while you do that. Now rate your stress or anxiety again. Did the number change? Maybe you didn’t go from a 10 (the worst) all the way down to a 1 but, maybe you went from a 10 to a 9. That’s something. Exercises like this are great to share with employees so they can have a stress support tool right in their back pocket.

According to Brene Brown,, research professor and author, “Sometimes our first and greatest dare is asking for support.”

Finding a path forward in a mental health journey may require outside support. What kind of resources do your employees have access to, and do they know about them? Do you? You are not expected to act as a mental health expert, but you should be able to point employees to the resources available to them. This is another place where medical carriers shine. Many offer dynamic support tools including and talk therapy and beyond. If you’re looking for other tools consider the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). or the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). And, if you don’t have one already, think about implementing an Employee Assistance Program within your business. This can be a great support option for your employees. Make these resources well known to employees throughout the year, so they are there when they need them.

I’ll end this podcast with one last quote from Noam Shpancer, PhD, “Mental Health is not a destination, but a process…”

I hope you found this information useful. If you enjoyed the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcasts. And please share it with a colleague or make sure to subscribe to our newsletter at TriNet.com/Insights.

As always, we’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to drop us a line at SMBMatters@TriNet.com. SMB Matters by TriNet is committed to providing small and medium-size businesses with timely and relevant insights. On behalf of all the dedicated colleagues at TriNet, thanks for listening to SMB Matters.

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This podcast is for educational purposes only. With decades of experience supporting small and medium-size businesses, TriNet has unique insight into HR best practices for businesses. TriNet does not provide legal, tax or accounting advice. The materials in this podcast and the options and opinions expressed herein may not apply to your company or scenario, so you should consult with your own advisors on how best to proceed. Reproduction in part or in whole is not permitted without express written authorization from TriNet.