“What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality.” Plutarch.

World Mental Health Day is happening on Thursday 10 October and it’s all about raising awareness of mental health and driving positive change for everyone’s mental health. It’s also a chance to talk about mental health, how we need to look after it, and how important it is to get help if you are struggling.

Talking about our mental health can help us cope better with life’s ups and downs. So, on World Mental Health Day and beyond it, why not check in with your friends, family, peers, or colleagues?

World Mental Health Day is celebrated every year in October. This year’s theme set by the World Federation of Mental Health is workplace mental health. The theme highlights the importance of addressing mental health and wellbeing in the workplace, for the benefit of people, organisations, and communities.

Mental wellbeing describes your mental state, how you are feeling and how well you can cope with day-to-day life. Our mental wellbeing is dynamic. It can change from moment to moment, day to day, month to month or year to year. It’s influenced by life events and experiences.

If we have good mental wellbeing, we’re able to:

  • Feel relatively confident in our self and have positive self-esteem
  • Feel and express a range of emotions
  • Build and maintain good relationships with others
  • Feel engaged with the world around us
  • Live and work productively
  • Cope with the stresses of daily life
  • Adapt and manage in times of change and uncertainty

 
Work can have a huge impact on our mental health. It can be good for our mental health, giving us a sense of purpose, boosting our self-worth and providing opportunities to connect with others. But it can also be a source of stress and anxiety and contribute to developing or worsening mental health problems.

A few statistics from the Mental Health Foundation: –

  • 15% of UK workers are estimated to have an existing mental health condition
  • 875,000 workers suffered from work-related stress, depression and anxiety in 2022/23
  • The 5th most common reason for sickness absence in 2022 was mental health.

 
Many people spend a lot of their time working, whether that’s in the community, in an office, a workshop, at home or many other workplaces. That’s why it’s so important that our workplace supports our mental health, helping us get the mental health benefits of work while reducing the negative impact.

Here is a summary of 10 evidence-based ways to improve mental health from the Mental Health Foundation: –

  1. Talk about your feelings – this can help you maintain your mental health and deal with times when you feel troubled.
  2. Be mindful of activity levels – regular exercise can boost your self-esteem and can help you concentrate, sleep and generally feel better.
  3. Eat well – what we eat can affect how we feel both immediately and in the longer term. A balanced diet with lots of vegetables and fruit is essential for good physical and mental health.
  4. Drink sensibly – we often drink alcohol to change our mood. Some people drink to deal with fear or loneliness, but the effect is only temporary.
  5. Manage your relationships – working in a supportive team is hugely important for our mental health at work. Relationships are key to our mental health.
  6. Ask for help – none of us are superhuman. We all sometimes get tired or overwhelmed by how we feel or when things don’t go to plan. Your employer may have an Employee Assistance Programme. These services are confidential and can be accessed free.
  7. Take a break – a change of scene or change of pace is good for your mental health. It could be a five-minute pause from what you are doing, reading a book or listening to a podcast during a commute, a lunch break or a weekend exploring somewhere new.
  8. Do something you’re good at – what do you love doing? What activities can you lose yourself in? What did you love doing in the past? Enjoying yourself can help beat stress.
  9. Accept who you are – we’re all different. It’s much healthier to accept that you’re unique than to wish you were more like someone else.
  10. Care for others – caring for others is often an important part of keeping up relationships with people close to you. Working life can provide opportunities to care for others – contributing through vocational jobs can be hugely significant for mental health.

 
There is a very handy download of these tips available (including more detail) on the Mental Health Foundation website (www.mentalhealth.org.uk).

If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, you are not alone, and there are places you can go to get help. Whether you’re worried about the big stuff – or the small, it’s OK to feel overwhelmed, down, or anxious – and it may help to talk about how you’re feeling. Usually, your GP is the first place you should go if you have concerns about your mental health that won’t go away – or if you have thoughts about suicide at any time. Contact the NHS 24 Mental Health Hub by calling 111 if you need to get help when your GP isn’t open or available.

You may prefer to get free, confidential support by phone or online. You can:

  • Call Samaritans on 116 123 at any time of the day or night.
  • Call Breathing Space on 0800 83 85 87 or visit their website.
  • If you are a child or young person, you can call Childline on 0800 1111 or talk to them online.
  • Call the CALM helpline on 0800 58 58 58 or use their webchat. The helpline and webchat are both open 5pm to midnight, 365 days a year.

 
This week, pause to reflect and think about what you can do to improve your mental health.

To arrange a free no obligation consultation, please contact Stephen Pauley via the contact form or by e mail: Stephen@befirstclass.co.uk