Summary of "WEBINAR NASIONAL : Employee Well-being: Strategi Efektif Meningkatkan Kesehatan Mental"

Summary of Webinar: Employee Well-being – Effective Strategies to Improve Mental Health and Productivity

This national webinar focused on strategies to enhance employee mental health and productivity in the workplace, emphasizing the importance of well-being as a foundation for sustainable performance. The presentations covered stress management, work-life balance, mental health in the digital era, HR’s strategic role, and new paradigms in workplace productivity.

Key Wellness Strategies, Self-Care Techniques, and Productivity Tips

1. Understanding and Managing Stress

Presenter: Mrs. Risma Nurhapsari

Stress is a natural, adaptive response and can be positive (eustress) or negative (distress).
Signs of stress include insomnia, decreased concentration, irritability, and psychosomatic symptoms.
Effective stress management techniques:
- Relaxation and mindfulness (meditation, yoga, breathing exercises)
- Time management (e.g., Pomodoro technique: 25 minutes focused work + 5 minutes break)
- Social support from family, friends, and colleagues as psychological buffers
Foundational self-care for mental well-being:
- Regular physical activity to release endorphins
- Balanced, healthy diet to support brain function
- Quality sleep for recovery and focus
Building a positive mindset:
- View challenges as opportunities
- Practice gratitude regularly
- Replace negative thoughts with positive affirmations
Productivity tips:
- Set clear short- and long-term goals
- Maintain a comfortable, organized work environment with natural lighting
- Balance work focus with rest periods
Work-life balance principles:
- Set clear boundaries between work and personal life
- Engage in hobbies to enrich emotional well-being
- Utilize flexible work arrangements responsibly
Effective communication:
- Develop interpersonal skills to reduce miscommunication
- Practice empathy and provide constructive feedback
- Foster psychological safety for open dialogue and innovation

2. Mental Health Strategies in the Digital Workplace Era

Presenter: Mrs. Ayu Anora

Digital work blurs boundaries between work and personal time, increasing invisible fatigue and stress.
Common challenges:
- Constant connectivity and notifications beyond work hours
- Difficulty disengaging from work due to urgent demands or cross-time zone collaborations
- Information overload and digital stress, especially for those less tech-savvy
- Social isolation due to remote work
Mental health challenges include burnout, fatigue, loss of motivation, and increased turnover.
The 3B principle to manage well-being:
- Balance between work and rest
- Boundary setting to know when to be “on” and “off”
- Breaks for reflection, movement, hydration, and light exercise
Work smart strategies:
- Focus on results rather than hours worked
- Use efficient technology to enhance flexibility and productivity
- Take micro-breaks every 90 minutes
- Maintain social relationships and use leave to recharge
- Develop self-awareness and prioritize mental health
Role of organizations:
- Foster empathetic culture
- Provide access to counseling and mental health resources
- Measure performance based on outcomes, not just hours

3. HR’s Strategic Role in Creating an Empowering Workplace

Presenter: Mrs. Salwa Hayati

Employee welfare and empowerment are key to retaining talent and improving productivity.
Welfare includes:
- Physical, mental, social, and financial well-being, beyond just salary
- Career development opportunities, recognition, appreciation
- Work-life balance with flexible and reasonable working hours
- Job security and fair employment contracts
Empowering workplace characteristics:
- Trust and autonomy for employees to make decisions
- Inclusive, open communication and empathy between leaders and employees
- Reduced excessive supervision, promoting ownership and responsibility
HR should be a strategic partner, not just administrative, focusing on employee growth and engagement.
Challenges include resistance to change from old rigid work cultures.
Strategies for implementation:
- Educate leadership and employees about holistic welfare
- Foster two-way feedback and flexible work hours
- Build a culture that supports mental health and employee empowerment
Positive outcomes:
- Increased productivity (up to 20%)
- Reduced turnover and recruitment costs
- Enhanced employee motivation and loyalty

4. People-Centered HRM and Mental Health

Presenter: Dr. Wayan Arya Pramarta

Mental health disorders affect about 15% of working-age employees globally, causing massive productivity losses.
Traditional HR focused on control and numbers; new paradigm focuses on holistic employee well-being.
Mental health directly influences productivity, creativity, retention, and absenteeism.
Strategies for People-Centered HRM:
- Balanced job design to avoid overload and multitasking
- Empathetic leadership that listens and supports employees
- Flexible work arrangements and mental health leave policies
- Psychological support access (counseling, mindfulness, emotional check-ins)
- Inclusive culture promoting psychological safety and open communication
- Integration of well-being into recruitment, onboarding, evaluation, and development
Case studies:
- Google’s mindfulness and break programs improved engagement by 12% and reduced fatigue by 23%
- Microsoft’s 4-day workweek increased productivity by 40%
Emphasizes long-term investment in employee mental health to sustain organizational success.

5. Mental Health as the New Productivity Paradigm

Presenter: Mr. Budi Harto

Mental health in the workplace is a strategic necessity, not a trivial matter.
Old paradigm: productivity measured by hours and output; new paradigm: quality, balance, and mental health prioritized.
Healthy mental state leads to sharper focus, creativity, and better teamwork.
Signs of mental crisis at work:
- Increased absenteeism but stagnant performance
- Decreased productivity, increased conflicts, high turnover
Strategies at different levels:
- Individual: basic self-care (sleep, exercise, stress relief activities)
- Team: build healthy culture, promote mental health leave without stigma
- Organizational: cultural transformation, leadership training, wellbeing policies
Benefits of well-being policies:
- Higher retention, innovation, and reduced absenteeism
- Psychological safety encourages 40% more innovation
Conclusion:
- Productivity stems from peace of mind and meaningful work
- Happy employees work with heart, not just harder

Additional Tips from Q&A Session

Differentiate motivating stress (realistic, meaningful challenges) from hindering stress (excessive, unrealistic demands).
Overcoming stigma in mental health requires balanced time management, self-care, and limiting distractions (e.g., social media).
Empowerment must be internalized, not just a slogan; requires leadership commitment and cultural education.
Welfare policies increase loyalty and focus without making employees “too comfortable.”
Onboarding is the most crucial HR phase to embed well-being culture for long-term impact.
Transition phases may see temporary productivity dips as employees heal; balance empathy with clear expectations.
Leaders should build psychological safety by showing empathy, normalizing rest, and encouraging open communication.

Presenters / Sources

Mrs. Risma Nurhapsari, S. Mak. (STKOM Sukoharjo)
Mrs. Ayu Anora, S. M.SM. (Bumi Persada University, Loksmawe)
Mrs. Salwa Hayati, M.M. (Ubudiyah University Indonesia Banda Aceh)
Dr. Wayan Arya Pramarta, S.M.M. (STIM Handayani Denpasar)
Mr. Budi Harto, S.M.M., PiA, CBPA (LP3I Bandung Polytechnic)
Moderator: Ms. Lia Handayani (Unfaast TEKOM Semarang)

This webinar provided comprehensive insights into the importance of employee mental health, practical strategies to manage stress, and the evolving role of HR in fostering empowering and productive workplaces.