Mental Health Awareness Week

It is important to look after yourself and others when in the workplace as we never know what is going on. Everyone’s mental health has been greatly impacted over these last few years through the pandemic and the change it has brought to our lives.

The pandemic has introduced a new sense of loneliness and isolation into individuals lives that they may not have experienced before, such as working from home, using online video calls in place of face-to-face meetings etc.

Asking for help is never anything to be ashamed of, especially when so many of us all struggle with some form of bad mental health.

Although you may have adapted to the change quickly, others may have not. There are some quick and easy ways to check in on your colleagues and friends to ensure that they are feeling okay.

• Connect with them – building a positive connection with someone can help give both parties a sense belongingness and self-worth – go out for breakfast, lunch or dinner once a week and share your thoughts and feelings.
• Get active – going outside and being active is a great way to increase your self-esteem and helps you feel more accomplished within your day. Going to the gym and excessively working-out is not necessarily going to be your cup of tea, however, setting yourself a goal of walking a certain amount and reaching that goal, can increase your overall mood.
• Learning new skills – taking up a new hobby and experimenting with a new interest can help you get more active without realising it. Having a task where you can set the time limits to fit you and not feeling external pressures will increase your interest and make you feel more inclined to do it.

Trying to introduce one or more of these tasks into your routine can help to improve your mental health. Including your colleagues in your journey can also help benefit them as well, even when they are not comfortable to disclose their feelings.

Nobody likes to feel left out, grab the person next to you and go for a walk, believe us – it’ll help!

If you or anyone else you know needs help then click the link to find out more – Mental Health Awareness Week 2022 – Mind