Heath Holt Talks Mental Health Awareness with Nashville Fit Magazine

While May is a month dedicated to Mental Health Awareness, Heath Holt says it’s become imperative to prioritize it all year round.

OneDigital Tennessee’s Heath Holt was recently interviewed by Nashville Fit Magazine to highlight the importance of mental health during Mental Health Awareness Month, but also emphasize its significance throughout the other 11 months of the year.

We have seen such an uprise in mental health issues and more importantly awareness in the last four years. The data is telling us that even with our differences, we all want to be seen and recognized and feel a sense of safety and belonging in our workplace. Leaders need to be aware of how their people are doing to uncover them as individuals. When people feel seen and valued, it makes all the difference.”
 
— Heath Holt, Principal, OneDigital Tennessee

Heath says focusing on the employees’ mental wellbeing starts by training the leaders, and they don’t have to be certified mental health professionals.

“Empowering the employee by training the employers on how to talk to someone suffering from a mental health issue has been incredibly successful. People just want to be heard and understood, so training leaders to learn how to lean into those relationships and set aside time to focus on the whole person sets them up for success. You don’t have to be a mental health professional to check in on someone and be a lending ear.”

Heath says leaning into personal relationships not only fosters a healthy environment and supports mental health, it also in turn positively impacts the bottom line of the organization.

Something we’re trying to do is meet people where they are. Whether they are just beginning their career or seeking retirement, everyone is facing different levels of mental health challenges. Meeting people where they are with mental health is not only the right thing to do, but it also provides cost savings for employers by creating more productive and happy employees. When people have the clarity they are searching for, and you create a culture of caring, it trickles down to positively impact the bottom line.

To watch the full interview, visit Nashville Fit Magazine or view via the video link below.

For additional resources on mental health, check out Beyond an EAP: A New Approach to Workforce Mental Health.