World Mental Health Day

By Lauren Healey and Amber Parker

Every year on the 10^th of October World Mental Health Day is celebrated. This year’s theme focuses on workplace mental health. With 1 in 6 working adults experiencing symptoms of poor mental health, the theme highlights the importance of addressing mental health and wellbeing at work. Poor mental health is responsible for 72 million working days being lost and costs UK employers £45 billion each year. The question is though, how can we spot the signs and be pro-active?

Below are some examples of visible and non-visible signs that an employee may display if they’re experiencing poor mental health.

Visible Signs:

• Looking unkempt
• Declining physical health
• Mood swings
• Untidy surroundings
• Withdrawing from family and friends
• Drug and Alcohol misuse

Non-Visible Signs:

• Sleeping too much or too little
• Loss of motivation
• Feelings of hopelessness
• Overeating or loss of appetite
• Emotional instability
• Low self esteem

It is important to remember that mental health is fluid, and it is not fixed. Therefore, if you or an employee are not currently experiencing poor mental health, that does not mean that you will never experience it. Visible and non-visible signs may overlap, and some individuals will try to mask these symptoms.

To reduce the likelihood of experiencing poor mental health, you can practice self-care. This relates to the ‘Oxygen Mask Theory’, whereby you need to look after your own mental health if you are to support others with theirs. We suggest you reflect on what self-care may look like for you and note these down on the table below. This can look different for everybody; we have included some examples of what may work for you:

To support you with practicing self-care, RHG has some valuable resources available:

• On the 21^st of November, Linda Hughes will be delivering a GROW Academy Course on ‘Mindfulness for Managing Stress’. If you’re interested in signing up for this, here is the link.
• You can complete the ‘Boost your Wellness in the Workplace e-Learning’, which you can access here.
• To keep you moving, you can complete the ‘3 Easy Desk Stretches’ e-Learning, which you can access here.

Here are some resources that you can access if you require support:

• For resources or campaigns visit Mind
• If you need someone to listen contact Samaritans
• To have a conversation with trained volunteers text ‘Support’ to Shout on 85258
• To locate nearby support services, visit Hub of Hope