Mental Health Awareness Week takes place every year during the month of May. The annual event is an opportunity for organisations to raise awareness about mental health struggles among the UK workforce. Mental health struggles are still stigmatised, despite increased dialogue on the subject. Psychological well-being is highly relevant to those in the workplace, with issues such as anxiety, burnout and depression are prevalent in high pressure industries such as law and medicine.
Despite the government’s effort to reduce time off work and battle ‘sick note Britain’, mental health issues account for approximately 12.7% of all sickness absences in the UK workforce. Work-related stress, anxiety, or depression accounted for 49% of all new or long-standing health conditions in the last two years. The cost to the NHS of poor mental health to UK employers is estimated at £56 billion per year – and with increased diagnoses of depression and anxiety, the cost is only set to rise.
The legal sector is well known for its long working hours and high-pressure environment, making it difficult to find time to get up from your desk, hydrate and fit exercise into the working day. Many find themselves relying on take-away at the end of a working day. During Mental Health Awareness Week starting on May 13th, firms and mental health charities will be encouraging employees to fit exercises into the daily routine, and talk about the benefits of getting enough sleep and a healthy diet.
Instant Offices, who collect data on all things work based, say there is a 67% rise in searches for mental health support in the workplace.
The organisation have put together some steps ahead of Mental Health Awareness Week to advise employers on supporting their workforce.
How Businesses Can Support Employee Mental Health
Break the Culture of Silence
There is still a stigma around mental illness that makes employees more likely to suffer in silence than share information with their managers or bosses.
Now is an ideal time for leaders within businesses to talk more openly about mental health and create a culture that encourages conversations around these issues. Taking a mental health day or asking for support should never impact an employee’s reputation or how they are perceived.
Keep Socialising With Your Teams
Remote working has its perks, but having a hybrid or fully remote work life can make a lot of people feel isolated. To combat this, employers can introduce social events both through zoom calls and in the office to create a space for employees to have informal bonding time with their co-workers.
Lead By Example
With many employees now working remotely, managers need to be more conscious of the challenges different households face. Encouraging flexibility, self-care and regular check-ins is key to reducing presenteeism and stress, and ensuring employees facing any issues can be identified and supported. Encourage transparent conversations and put action plans in place for team members who need help.
Introduce (or Keep Up) Team Activity and Training Sessions
With employees using tools like Zoom to connect with the office when working remotely, it’s a good idea for businesses to encourage morning catch-ups to keep everyone feeling like a part of a team. Encourage team members to take a class they’ve always wanted to try or to attend industry-related Webinars, this is a great way to support employees looking to upskill themselves.
Four Things Employees Can Do to Manage Stress
Get a Better Night’s Sleep: The number of Brits struggling with sleep problems has risen to over half of UK adults (51%). Some of the best ways to create a better sleep pattern include reducing caffeine intake, turning off screens, going to bed and getting up at the same time every day, and ensuring our bedrooms are as dark as possible.
Take a Digital Detox: The goal is to ensure you are informed enough to make decisions but not so overloaded with news headlines that it induces anxiety. A good idea is to choose a few authoritative resources and check in with them daily while muting channels that disrupt your sense of wellbeing, or using a tool to manage screen time.
Be Strict Around Work-Life Balance: It’s important to schedule the day into bitesize chunks and work in waves. Honour your ultradian rhythms, which run between 60 to 90 minutes, and then take 15 to disconnect and take a break. By working in waves, we become energised and find it easy to switch off from work when the end of the days comes.
If we can’t disconnect from work, we face the real possibility of burnout and making mistakes. I have my clients have a digital sunset, where they tidy their workspace ready for the following day and put everything work-related in that space. They visualise shutting down from work, and then walk around the block again, this time leaving work, and returning home. It’s crucial also to schedule enjoyable things in the evening.
Create a Calm Workspace When Working From Home: It’s not always easy to find an ideal space to work from at home. When deciding which space to work from, look for an area with natural light and temperate, fresh air, and minimal distractions. The space must be free of clutter and have comfortable furniture.
