Why is wellbeing so important at work? (time to talk day)
Mental wellbeing in the workplace is just as important as physical wellbeing and in light of Time to Talk Day (Feb 3rd), we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to emphasise this. Things are shifting in the right direction to acknowledge the importance of mental wellbeing at work, but there’s still room for improvement. Read on to find out how mental health and the stigma around it can be erased in the workplace, paving the way for the future.
Time to talk day.
It is Time to Talk Day today, ran by leading mental health charities, Mind and Rethink Mental Illness. This day is the nation’s biggest day, solely dedicated to openly speaking about mental health and seeking appropriate help. The whole aim of the day is to show people that they should feel empowered to ask for help if they need it and they have supportive communities from different elements of their life, such as their workplace. This is especially important for those who live alone or have moved far away from their family and friends and therefore can have access to a reliable support network, such as their work colleagues. Click here to order a free mental health resource pack today.
Statistics.
Did you know that 1 in 4 adults in the UK will encounter mental health hurdles each year? The last couple of years have indicated that anxiety and work-related stress has contributed to 50% of poor work-related health; this was also pre-pandemic! The charity Mind recently discovered through a study that 52% of people reported experiencing poor mental health at work, along with only 52% of the study being able to speak about this with their employer. How are the remaining percentage able to seek any help if they do not feel comfortable enough to speak with their employer/team at work?
It’s shocking to think of how many people are facing mental health difficulties at work and aren’t feeling that they can speak about their struggles freely, this is what Time to Talk Day is all about! Constantly bottling up feelings and pushing on with the working day can lead to workplace burnout, which is another matter.
Mental Health Stigma.
You might be aware that unlike physical first aid, mental health first aid isn’t compulsory in the workplace. After discovering the statistics of people taking time off work due to poor mental health, you might be left wondering why this isn’t the case? The good news is, mental health first aid is shaping up to be a mandatory service at work in the near future, but there are things that can be done for the time being. Enrolling your work team in a mental health first aid course is one of the best ways to educate employees about mental health wellbeing at work. There is still a negative stigma associated with discussing mental health, especially at work, so having a mental health first aider (MHFA) on-site is needed now more than ever.
What is a Mental Health First Aider?
MHFAs are the first point of contact for employees if they wish to discuss concerns at work, which are impacting their mental health. MHFAs undergo strict levels of training, through a variety of courses that offer different tiers of knowledge and understanding of mental health. The role of a MHFA is to essentially listen to the employee(s) who have approached them and can then offer their guidance should the employee want it. MHFAs are also trained to spot the early signs of someone who may be experiencing a mental health decline and can approach them to see if they’d like someone to talk to. Sometimes, a good chat is all that is needed, but on other occasions, the MHFA will be able to help the employee gain further help if required.
It's best to have as many MHFAs in the workplace as possible. If the one person who was trained in physical first aid was off for the day and an emergency occurred, what would happen then? This applies for mental health too, which is why the more people who are trained on mental health first aid, the better!
Book Mental Health Training with us.
Feeling inspired to join the movement in speaking up about mental health and breaking through the stigma? Would you like your team to become mental health first aiders, potentially saving someone’s life? We’re proud to offer a variety of Mental Health First Aid England-accredited courses for your team to take part in. We’re here to help open the conversation of mental health in settings that people find harder to do so in, just like their workplace! We can’t wait to work with you; group bookings will also receive a 20% discount. Just get in touch to find out more!
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