Wellness educators bringing mental health conversations into the workplace

Poor mental health costs Canadians an astounding amount, but a speaker collective founded by two BC-based wellness advocates says that it doesn’t need to be that way.

WellIntel Talks, founded by Nicole Legg and Cynthia (Cindy) McDowell, is helping employers of all sizes address the important topics of mental health and wellness in the workplace with various educational talks.

According to Legg and McDowell, mental health and wellness concerns are not just personal or individual matters –  they are organizational and systemic too.

WellIntel Talks/Submitted

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“When employees’ mental health and wellbeing are cared for, they are more engaged, productive, and collaborative, and therefore enhance their workplace culture,” said Legg to Daily Hive. “An investment in mental health and wellness education is ultimately an investment in the company’s future success, sustainability, and innovation, and reduces the significantly larger costs associated with poor mental health.”

According to WellIntel, mental health concerns result in over $6.3 billion in lost workplace productivity. In addition, burnout alone is estimated to cost $10,000 per employee each year.

“Leaders, employers, and human resources personnel face challenges in knowing how to effectively address the wellness of their employees and teams, which is crucial given the associated costs of poor mental health and wellness in the workplace,” added McDowell. “We believe that using strategies that are grounded in science, as opposed to anecdotal information or personal opinion, is the solution to effectively and sustainably addressing wellness in the workplace.”

 

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Legg and McDowell both hold Master of Science degrees in Psychology (clinical psychology and experimental psychology, respectively) from the University of Victoria in BC. The duo created WellIntel Talks as a platform for mental health and wellness experts to offer evidence-based and engaging talks on a variety of mental health and wellness topics to businesses, organizations, and community groups.

“Anyone, including HR personnel, corporate event organizers, or team leaders, can visit our website, browse our available talks and request to hire any of our speakers to deliver the selected wellness talk,” explained Legg. “We work with our clients to ensure the talk is a perfect fit for their group.

“We also have a blog on our website where we post monthly articles about different health topics, important health-related information, and actionable tools that people can implement. This is another way that we are helping to increase access to evidence-based health information. 

WellIntel Talks/Submitted

Virtual and in-person talks currently offered by WellIntell:

• The foundations of mental health and how to boost it
• Strategies for combating burnout for both employees and employers
• Thriving at work by identifying personal and professional strategies for a positive company culture 
• Cultivating individual and organizational wellness in remote work
• How to boost brain health and performance
• Emotional intelligence and effective communication in the workplace
• Understanding and increasing motivation and productivity
• How to be an ally and promote inclusivity and diversity in the workplace
• optimizing performance under pressure for both individuals and leaders
• Creating an atmosphere that promotes positive body image

All of WellIntel’s speakers have acquired graduate-level training (at least a Master’s degree) in their field and are qualified experts in what they are speaking about. The platform is also growing its roster of wellness experts and expanding its talk offerings.

WellIntel Talks/Submitted

“Attendees of a WellIntel session can expect an engaging, informative, and motivating experience,” shared McDowell. “We break down complex topics into digestible insights, paired with actionable strategies.

“All of our talks are designed so that audience members walk away feeling equipped and motivated to start promoting and bolstering their wellness in some way.

For more information, visit here.