Mental health and wellbeing resources for businesses
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Owning and running a small business can be challenging, particularly during difficult times such as natural disasters and ongoing economic changes.
Looking after your mental health and wellbeing is important to be able to work productively and achieve business and personal goals.
Pay attention to any red flags that indicate your mental health, or the health of your employees, needs to be prioritised.
On this page
If you need help now or you (or someone you know) is at imminent risk of harm:
Mental health and wellbeing red flags
Be aware of the early warning signs that may indicate you need to pay attention to your mental health.
- Having trouble concentrating
- Not meeting deadlines
- Not working to the usual standard
- Withdrawing from staff
- Feeling less engaged than usual
- Feeling worthless or like a failure
- Being absent from work
- Feeling irritable, nervous, angry, anxious or worried
- Feeling depressed or low in energy
- Having trouble sleeping
- Sleeping too much
- Waking up and having difficulty getting back to sleep
- Experiencing weight or appetite changes
- Consuming more alcohol or other substances
- Withdrawing from friends and family
- Experiencing panic attacks
- Having emotional or aggressive outbursts
- Engaging in destructive behaviour
You should seek help if you have noticed a change in your feelings, thoughts or behaviour that:
- lasts for more than a few weeks
- affects your relationships and ability to work, learn or socialise
- prevents you from participating in activities you've previously enjoyed.
Online mental health checks
- Use Beyond Blue's anxiety and depression test (K10) to work out how your feelings may have changed. Based on your responses, you'll be given information and contacts to help you take the next step in seeking support.
- Take the Ahead for Business mental health check-up.
Who can help
Sometimes, reaching out can be hard when you're feeling overwhelmed but it's important to take the first step.
Mental health support for business owners
- Learn about NewAccess for small business owners, a free and confidential guided self-help mental health coaching program. Coaches with small business backgrounds work to equip you with practical skills to overcome difficult issues (in business and at home) and manage stress.
Someone to talk to
- Talk to your friends and family about how you are feeling (read Beyond Blue's tips for conversations about mental health).
- Reach out to Beyond Blue for information and support to achieve your best possible mental health, whatever your age or wherever you live.
- Find mental health services and treatment options available in Queensland to help you regain your mental health and wellbeing.
- Contact 1300 MH CALL: Mental health access line as a first point of contact for support, information, advice, triaging and referral.
- If you are concerned about alcohol and/or drug use, visit Adis for 24/7 support. Adis also offers a self-assessment quiz to see if your alcohol and/or drug use is risky.
- Find out about mental health and wellbeing support services (Brisbane, Gold Coast, Fraser Coast) for children up to the age of 25, and their families.
- Find mental health support at the Australian Government's Head to health initiative to live well, find help, work with your GP, and get support for unexpected events.
Business support
- Visit tools and resources from the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman to learn about cyber security, financial wellbeing, disaster preparation and recovery, changes to Australian workplace laws, and be connected with mental health support.
- Small business financial counsellors provide free, impartial, and confidential assistance to small business owners who are experiencing or are at risk of financial hardship. The service is delivered through the Small Business Financial Counselling Service Southern Queensland and Small Business Financial Counselling Service North Queensland.
- Small business wellness coaches provide assistance to small business owners experiencing mental health and wellbeing challenges, in a free, one-on-one, supportive environment. The service is delivered through the Small Business Wellness Coaching Service Southern Queensland and Small Business Wellness Coaching Service North Queensland.
- Rural financial counsellors provide free, impartial, and confidential financial counselling to primary producers who are experiencing or are at risk of financial hardship. The service is delivered through the Rural Financial Counselling Service Southern Queensland and Rural Financial Counselling Service North Queensland.
- Mentoring for Growth offers free mentoring and business support from industry experts across Queensland.
Planning for your mental health and wellbeing
A mental health and wellbeing plan helps you identify the kinds of stressors in your business that are likely to affect your mental health, and what you can do to minimise their effects. A plan can also help you create a mentally healthy workplace and help staff who may be struggling with their own mental health. Use the following resources to develop your mental health and wellbeing plan:
- a guide to help small business owners create a mental health and wellbeing plan by the Queensland Mental Health Commission
- Heads up's practical information and expert advice on all aspects of mental health for small business owners
- Ahead for business is a digital hub that supports mentally healthy businesses with tailored resources, peer support, check-ups, personalised action plans and experiences of other small business owners.
Creating a mentally healthy workplace
- Managing the risk of psychosocial hazards at work Code of Practice 2022 is a practical guide on how to prevent psychological and physical harm from psychosocial hazards at work, and it's also a helpful resource for employees.
- Black Dog Institute offers tips and information on how to make your business or workplace mentally healthy.
- R U OK? has mental health resources, including a mental health handbook for small business owners that encourages business owners, leaders and employees to build an R U OK culture in the workplace.
- The mentally healthy workplaces toolkit and mental injury essentials offer practical tools and resources from Workplace Health and Safety Queensland to help you make positive steps towards a mentally healthy workplace.
Also consider…
- Read more about mental health and wellbeing.
- Learn about mental health and wellbeing support from the Australian Government.