Mental health awareness week is officially over, but the journey to where we need to be isn't. There is still stigma associated with mental health, which is interesting because we all have it!
Mental health and mental illness are different. We all have mental health. Just like we all have physical health. It might be good, it might be great, or it might need a bit of work.
It’s amazing how many people religiously pay a gym or personal trainer to improve their physical health. And we talk about it openly, even post it on FB, Snapchat, Instagram and Twitter.
We also have trainers for our mental health. These are counsellors, therapists, psychologists etc. Imagine the day we can talk about these visits openly, maybe even post about it!
There are other activities, mantras, pursuits... whatever you want to call it - that can affect your mental health (good and bad). I sat on the train yesterday thinking how much happier I've been since ditching the car to walk, bike and use public transport. I've more time to think, watch the world go by, and more time to myself! So I ask you this..... What are you doing to improve your mental health? And will you post about it on social media?
Within the workplace there are many initiatives businesses can implement to support mental health, including:
supporting work-life balance
creating growth and development plans and opportunities for staff
creating a collaborative culture so that everyone is involved and feels part of the team
holding your own mental health awareness week
supporting ‘mental health days’ as a genuine reason for taking a sick day - you may even include this in your leave and HR policies
providing Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) services to staff
If you would like to talk through any of these options, or you need further HR advice or HR consulting to support your business success please get in touch with us.
