Ashwin Sheth Group, a leading real estate developer in Mumbai, India, is taking proactive initiatives to enhance mental health awareness and promote mental well-being in the company, in keeping with the worldwide theme for World Mental Health Day 2023, "Mental health is a universal human right." The company is honouring this day through various initiatives such as a workshop by Dr Kalyani Kamble on Discover your Inner Peace and a Fluid Art Therapy workshop by the Bombay Painting Club as part of the #BurstTheBurden campaign.
Dr. Kalyani Kamble, Founder of VisioNeering Life and co-founder of Prescient Strategist as a Business Coach and trainer, led the workshop on Nurturing Mental Well-being: A Journey to Overcoming Negative Emotions and Managing Stress. The session was organized because there is a growing urgency in India to commit resources and efforts to battle the rising tide of mental health concerns.
There is an apparent need for employers to place a greater emphasis on employee wellbeing seeing that the real estate sector as practitioners contend with a high level of stress due to the wide swings in client emotions and the job’s demanding nature. Nearly 48% of corporate employees are struggling with mental health issues, with women being more prone to high mental health risk at 56% v/s than men at 41%, a new survey: ‘Mental Health and Wellness Quotient @Workplace 2023’ by MPower, an initiative by The Aditya Birla Education Trust has revealed. At Ashwin Sheth Group, the company is initiating various initiatives to empower the importance of work-life balance such as initiating policies like reimbursing 50% of the gym membership fees to have a healthy and active lifestyle of the employees.
The Nurturing Mental Well-being workshop offers an immersive journey to overcoming negativity and managing stress in a busy professional life. The workshop aims to raise awareness about mental health, provide practical tools for managing stress, and empower participants to take proactive steps towards enhancing their mental well-being. Collaborating with the Bombay Painting Club was a creativity to express emotions via art therapy.
Talking about the growing concern about employee mental health, Ashwin Sheth, Chairman and Managing Director (CMD), Ashwin Sheth Group, said, “The Ashwin Sheth Group is committed to fostering a supportive and inclusive workplace where employees' mental health is given top priority as it recognizes the significance of mental health as a fundamental human right and it is our responsibility as an organization to ensure our employees have the support, they need to thrive both personally and professionally. This World Mental Health Day marks a crucial turning point in our efforts to create a workplace where mental health is prioritized.”
Commenting on the WMHD, Dr Kalyani Kamble, Founder of VisioNeering Life, said, “Approximately half of all corporate employees in India struggle with their mental health and it is important to spread awareness about the mental health and work-life balance. Though mental health is still often considered a taboo topic it is vital to know the importance of work-life balance, emotional intelligence, understanding emotions, creating a healthy work environment, and celebrating emotional diversity in the workplace. If you are worried about your mental health, it is imperative to please reach out for help. There are people who care and want to help”.
Adding on the event and mental health challenges in the workplace Prabhakar Azad, Chief People and Process Officer (CPPO), Ashwin Sheth Group, stated, "A healthy workforce is a more engaged, productive, and innovative workforce. We want our employees to know that we are committed to their overall well-being. Our World Mental Health Day event demonstrates our commitment to cultivating a positive and inclusive workplace culture”.
Adding to this initiative, Bhavik Bhandari, CSMO, Ashwin Sheth Group, added, “As part of the corporate marketing initiative and Burst the Burden campaign, On the account of World Mental Health Day, all ASG HOD took a pledge to allow the teams to have a better work environment and support work-life balance on the various social media platforms. The whole office was lit with different messages via posters, danglers, tent cards and employees were given bands and positivity candles highlighting the message of bursting the burden and balancing personal and professional life”.
Nishita Kashyap, Founder, Bombay Painting Club, added, “There are different ways to deal with mental health stress and one of the initiatives is art therapy. Art therapy aids individuals in managing intense emotions, fostering self-awareness and self-worth, and decreasing stress and anxiety. This therapeutic approach encompasses a wide range of creative expressions, such as dance, music, drawing, painting, colouring, sculpting and more”.
