Today is World Mental Health Day, a subject that Leonard Design take very seriously and wish to support our team wherever possible.
The theme of 2022’s World Mental Health Day, is ‘Make mental health and wellbeing for all a global priority‘
Estelle Morris, HR Manager and a Mental Health First Aider, had this to say about the subject which was shared with the team via email:
“It’s a well-known statistic that one in four people in the UK will experience some kind of mental health issue over the course of any given year. This means that even if you don’t struggle with mental ill health personally, you’ll likely know at least one person who will.”
“Employers are realising that they need to do more to promote a mentally healthy workplace. Over recent years I’ve certainly become more aware of the importance of promoting positive mental health – it could be one of the biggest issues to face businesses today and we need to start tackling it and putting the support in place to help. From both a personal and professional standpoint we need to consider what more we can do to promote a mentally healthy workplace.
This World Mental Health Day, it is worth considering three questions:
- How can we support ourselves and each other better?
- What can we all do to facilitate mentally healthy workplaces?
- Is there more that can be done?
There are a few ways we can all help ensure good mental health in the workplace for ourselves and our colleagues.
Look after yourself
Mental health is exactly that – part of what makes up your overall health. You need to look after it and should ask for help when you need it. Put simply, if you had a broken leg, you would seek help, wouldn’t you? There is no shame in reaching out when you are struggling with mental ill health. If your issue is linked to work – either directly causing it or because you feel it is impacting upon your performance – talk to your mentor, manager, Mental Health First Aider or a work colleague
It’s ok to talk, but it’s important to listen
Mental health is often an acutely personal topic but talking things through can help. Having a sounding board can stop things escalating and help you to come up with a plan to tackle the issue. We should all try to be open to hearing the experiences of others and be aware of the wellbeing of those around us. When was the last time you truly listened? Listening may sound like a small thing, but it could make a big difference to someone. When time’s precious we can all be guilty of not spending the time listening to what our colleagues, friends and family actually mean. Stop for a minute, ask somebody how they are and listen to what they actually say.
Prioritise good work-life balance
As far as mental health at work and home/work life balance is concerned, the two issues often overlap. Thanks to technology and our ‘always on’ culture, good work-life balance can seem harder to achieve than ever before – and this may impact wellbeing and mental health. Consider undertaking a digital detox, where you don’t access work emails after work hours or during a weekend. Think about what balance means for you and what you want to achieve outside of work. You might be juggling family and other commitments so be clear about what work-life balance means for you and if it isn’t in synch, seek help to address the balance.
At Leonard Design we have a number of support mechanisms in place if anyone is struggling at any time including:
- 2 Trained mental health First Aiders
- Access to Mindfulness tools
- Guided online therapy
- Face to face counselling session
- Mental Health workshops
- Discount on spa stays
- In and out patient mental health treatment
- Promote physical activity at work
