Mental Health Awareness Week
24th May 2023
Each year, a week in May is dedicated to Mental Health Awareness (MHAW) which aims to reduce the stigma around mental health and improve awareness and support for those who may be struggling. In the workplace, recognising Mental Health Awareness Weeks serves as a reminder to prioritise employee well-being.
The theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week (15th – 21st May) was anxiety and in light of this, we decided to dedicate each day of the week to create awareness for not only anxiety, but mental health as a whole through activities, sharing resources and self-care exercises.
Monday – Meet Your Mental Health First Aiders
Our six Mental Health First Aiders possess the knowledge and skills to provide initial support to our employees experiencing a mental health problem or crisis. Investing in Mental Health First Aid training means that we can create a more supportive and inclusive workplace culture, where everyone feels comfortable talking openly about their mental health.
Tuesday – Encouraging Self-Care
We chose to promote self-care as research suggests that self-care promotes positive health outcomes, such as fostering resilience, living longer and becoming better equipped to deal with stress. We made suggestions such as taking 30 minutes to an hour to do something enjoyable and relaxing like reading a book, taking a walk, practicing yoga, baking or gardening.
Wednesday – Anxiety Awareness Quiz
Given that Anxiety was the theme of this year’s MHAW we wanted to have a quiz for our team which was typical general knowledge questions and then some anxiety awareness questions, giving employees the opportunity to share any top tips or resources.
Thursday – Wear It Green Day for the Mental Health Foundation
Wear it Green Day derives from the green ribbon, which is the international symbol of mental health awareness. In honour of MHAW, we asked our employees to wear something green.
Friday – You are Enough Day
‘You are Enough’ Day aims to prioritize our mental health and support each other more than ever. Sometimes a simple compliment, word of congratulations or olive branch of support can go a long way in making someone feel valued and appreciated. To get involved we asked our employees to use the ‘Thanks’ function on our internal system to send a kind message to a colleague and/or friend.