Mental Health Awareness Week: last week, this week, every week

Play your part in supporting people with mental health challenges and potentially saving lives, and make your business a safe space to talk about mental health.

Did you know that last week (May 10th-16th) was Mental Health Awareness Week?

Did you also know that this week is Mental Health Awareness Week too?

And that the week after that is also Mental Health Awareness Week?

You can pen them all into your diary now so that you don’t forget.

The official Mental Health Awareness Week plays a vital role in encouraging people to:

  • learn more about the vast array of mental health challenges that anyone can face
  • carry out mentally healthy actions every day
  • reach out for support if they need it.

Together, we can recognise that the other 51 weeks of the year are also Mental Health Awareness Weeks.

Mental Health Foundation

The Mental Health Foundation organises Mental Health Awareness Week. Their website is full of resources and inspirational stories to help keep people’s motivation high all year round

The theme of this year’s awareness week was ‘Nature’. Find a great collection of blogs and videos by people who have felt the benefits to their mental health of connecting with nature.

Make your business a safe space to talk about mental health

Some employers may not even realise that members of their team have a mental health condition.

There are those who have had mental health challenges long before COVID-19 entered our world and who may have had their struggles exacerbated because of it, and there will be those who have begun to struggle with their mental health for the first time as a result of the virus.

Ask yourself if you think your employees would feel comfortable approaching you with a mental health-related issue. If not, think what you can do to change that.

Have you considered:

  • appointing a mental health ‘workplace champion’ to take the lead on initiatives?
  • supporting a member of staff to train as a mental health first aider?

Talk with employees to understand their challenges and worries, and reassure them that you or a designated colleague are there for them if they want to talk.

Arm yourself with information and resources from the likes of Healthy Minds, the Samaritans, and Buckinghamshire Mind, many of whom also have specific coronavirus-related advice available right now tailored to workplaces.

Workplace Wellbeing

Buckinghamshire Business First has a dedicated Workplace Wellbeing section on our website where you will find advice, information and resources to support yourself and your colleagues with their mental health and wellbeing.

Take a look at the webpage here >

Business community ambassadors