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Writer's pictureDr Adeola Mead, ND

6 Ways Mentoring Supports Employee Mental Health

Updated: May 14, 2022



Have you considered a mentoring program for your employees?


A mentor is someone who provides gentle, non-judgmental guidance.


Someone who can pass on valuable skills, knowledge, and insights to mentees to help them develop their skills and career.


It’s a relationship mentees can lean on for support, guidance, and psychological safety.


Studies show that having friends and positive relationships at work positively impacts well-being, job satisfaction, and engagement at work. All of which contribute to a company’s bottom line.


Furthermore, mentorships establish a sense of connectedness and inclusion within the workplace, contributing to a healthier overall culture.


The common theme here is that mentoring helps support employee’s well-being and mental health.


Here are some ways it does so:


📌 1. Prevents isolation.


Employees who have a mentor are more likely to feel a sense of connection, thus reducing loneliness and depression.


📌 2. Increases self-confidence.


Mentees who receive regular feedback on their performance and development are more likely to feel confident about their abilities.


📌 3. Reduces work-related anxiety.


Much anxiety arises from a fear of the unknown. When employees have someone to run their questions by or someone who can guide them in taking the right steps, the unknowns become less concerning because there’s a clearer path.


Additionally, a Harvard Business Review study found that mentors experienced lower levels of anxiety than those who did not mentor.


📌 4. Improves communication.


When there’s a mentoring culture, employees are more likely to feel empowered to provide feedback and express their concerns.


📌 5. Increases self-awareness.


A good mentoring program requires employees to look within and identify their strengths and areas for development.


Working alongside a mentor to achieve career goals helps build self-awareness that can also be carried over into their personal lives.


📌 6. Fosters trusting relationships.


The relationship between a mentor and mentee must be built on trust – having someone to speak honestly about their professional development and frustrations with work can help employees feel a sense of psychological safety.


VitaliTeam Workplace Wellness provides solutions at the intersection of organizational health and individual wellbeing.”





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