MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Over the last year, we have all been impacted severely by COVID-19 in ways we never would have imagined.  Everyone has a different story to tell on how this has impacted their everyday life.  Mental health for many has always been difficult to talk about, but over the past 12 months in particular we have seen an increasing trend on being more open as we witness how this has affected family, friends, colleagues and piers.  Regardless of whether you are a leader, manager or colleague as an employer or employee we should not be fearful of reaching  out for support, mental health does not discriminate, it does not consider your job title or status it can affect us all.  There are lots of free tools to help and here are  some of our top tips on how to have a positive impact to boost  mental health:-

Employees

• Take charge of your wellbeing and reach out to someone you can discuss your problems with whether this is a loved one, friend or a colleague.  Communicating how you feel is so important, it can help put a problem into perspective.  There are many support groups you can contact (https://www.mind.org.uk/; https://mentalhealth-uk.org/; https://www.headspace.com/); this can make you feel supported and less isolated, It’s good to talk.  If your Employee offers an Employee Assistance Programme, tap into the tools on offer.

• Stay active, for those working from home it’s important you have the right work/life balance.  Regular exercise can help you concentrate, sleep better and boost your self-confidence – you will feel mentally better for it.

• A routine is important.  Wake up at the same time as when you would if you were working from the office.  It can be tempting to stay in bed and have a duvet day. 

• Eat well, having a balanced, nutritious diet will benefit your mental health as well as improve your mental wellbeing.  There are vast amounts of recipe’s online for some inspiration.

Employers

• Communicate with your workforce regularly and encourage openness.  Promote group or one to one virtual chat daily, weekly or whatever suits your employees.  Being visual may be important for your employees and make them feel less isolated.  Appoint virtual buddies or encourage difference teams to chat. 

• Be open to flexible working, consider your employee’s personal circumstance for example parents with young children, those caring for a loved one.  It’s difficult to juggle work and home life and a lot of employees struggle to maintain a healthy home/work life balance.

• Ensure you have the right technology and tools in place for your employees to be productive.

• Set up regular out of office activities virtually, encourage office challenges, like increasing step count, and or charity events to ensure team collaboration. Encourage your workforce to tap into Employee Assistance Programme if this is on offer to them.

We hope that our lives will return to some sort of normality whatever new normal will look like.  Hybrid and home working will continue to be the new norm for some time to come.  We all must try and stay positive and take each day at a time.  Remember one of the most important things we can do in life is communicate.  Remember and reach out if you are struggling, sharing your problems can help.

We would be keen to hear what initiatives your company has introduced that you feel has been a real benefit during these surreal times?