After over 25 years of being involved in Mental Health Awareness week, it’s great to see that this year’s theme is about ‘Taking Action’. This is a more proactive approach towards behaviour change, and the development of positive workplace cultures.
Action in the Workplace
Taking action at an organisational level means a shift in mindset from awareness and tick box activities, to embedding mental health at the heart of the organisation. Workplaces that have:
Sign up from the top
Engaged senior managers Invested in wellbeing
Psychological safety - where people feel free to speak openly
A positive workplace culture – where they feel valued, that they belong and are listened to
will be far more likely to succeed in embedding positive wellbeing
Individual action Small steps can make a big difference. If we can identify our own stress triggers, we can find the right tools to manage these, such as walking in nature or talking to a friend. It’s also vital that we reaching out for support when we are finding life challenging rather than waiting until we are burnt out and struggling to cope.
What small action could you put in place today?
Mental health awareness still has its place, as there is still stigma around mental health. Unfortunately, we still need a day to raise awareness of it. Could you imagine if we had a ‘physical health awareness day’ I can’t wait for the day where we don’t need it any more.
I look forward to the next 25 years!
Hi I'm Claire Health Psychologist and Founder of Promote Mental Health. Building mentally fit workplaces, so your people can thrive
- Mental Health Awareness Week
- Mental Health
- Workplace