Demanding schedules, tight deadlines, limited bandwidth … those factors coupled with remote working environments can create a perfect storm of workplace stress, directly impacting mental health. As advancements in AI technology continue, we can expect more tools and platforms that will help optimize productivity while taking care of our mental health. Here are five areas where AI can help support your mental health at work: 

1. Emotion Recognition

Platforms like Affectiva utilize machine learning to understand human emotions and expressions. Emotion recognition can be used to track changes in mood or detect early signs of burnout, helping you identify the need for self-care or intervention before hitting the proverbial wall.

The tool is also helpful for marketers in media and advertising — the human perception AI software analyzes both facial and vocal expressions to better understand emotional responses to media content.

2. AI-enabled EAPs

AI-driven Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) are increasingly proving to be effective in addressing employee mental wellness. The continued advancement in AI technology presents an opportunity for EAPs to become even more impactful.

With platforms like Ginger.io, you can access on-demand virtual support that leverages behavioral insights and machine learning to track any symptoms, get matched with appropriate providers, and encourage overall mental wellbeing.

3. Personalized Digital Coaches

With personalized digital coaches becoming more intelligent and human-like, the focus will shift from not only providing support, but to real-time interaction with employees to enhance levels of motivation, productivity, and stress.

Woebot and Wysa are already leading the way with their conversational chatbots that deploy Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques to help users cultivate self-awareness and advance their mental health.

4. Advanced Analytics

Advanced analytics can be highly instrumental in providing valuable insights into personal and organizational productivity. Clockwise and Worklytics leverage machine learning algorithms to analyze meeting habits and collaboration patterns, offering suggestions to maximize calls and avoid common productivity pitfalls.

These insights can prove crucial in ensuring efficient use of your time and resources.

5. Predictive Task Management

With a boost from AI technology, task management systems have the potential to become even more intuitive and efficient. Todoist and TimeHero are platforms that automate scheduling and prioritization of tasks, analyzing historical data and user behavior to suggest deadlines and reminders.

As machine learning algorithms continue to advance, we can expect that they’ll predict factors such as employee burnout and track stress levels, providing insights and recommendations for individual or team-related work tasks accordingly.

AI tools can significantly improve mental well-being at work by reducing workload, improving collaboration, detecting early signs of burnout, and personalizing the workplace experience. 

Interested in learning more about AI and its capabilities? Take a look at the INBOUND agenda for sessions and speakers focused on AI.