1 in 4 people in the U.K will experience mental ill health.
Read on for some insightful stats around mental health and our top 5 tips for recognising Mental Health Awareness Week in your organisation.
The most common cause of long-term absence in 2018 was mental ill health at 56%.
CIPD Health and Wellbeing at Work Survey 2018
I truly believe that the stigma is starting to dissolve around mental health but it is important that we continue to ride this wave to keep bringing awareness to it and normalising it in the workplace to encourage people who are suffering to seek help and also to be more informed about our own mental health and wellbeing.
The brain is an organ, just like any other in the body, yet why do we find it so hard to admit to our colleagues, family, even to our GP, that it has become ill? Social conditioning, I believe, is at the core of the stigma around mental health, triggering feelings of shame and ultimately sabotaging recovery.
Annually, mental ill health costs employers up to £42 billion, and the UK economy up to £99 billion, as over 300,000 people fall out of work every year due to mental ill health.
I remember a family member saying to me once that people who had depression were 'weak'. No surprises then that I found it impossible to tell them, or any of my friends, that I was suffering with depression in later life. 10 yrs ago in my last corporate role, I struggled with post-natal depression and anxiety and felt I had no-one to turn to. Looking back, I now realise that if I had reached out to someone they would most likely have helped me but when you are in the grip of a downward spiral it is a lonely place to be and feels very isolating and so without the support of the environment you are in, it is very difficult to speak up. At that time, there was no such thing as Mental Health First Aiders, 'Time to Talk' days or awareness weeks and whilst I do believe other people, and employers, should not be responsible for our health, creating an understanding and compassionate environment to work in encourages people to reach out when they are suffering and research shows they are more likely to return to work sooner.
In a 2 year MBCT Mindfulness randomised control trial (RCT), 17% of participants lowered their dose of antidepressants and 71% stopped taking them completely.
How Mindfulness can help your organisation
There is a wealth of empirical research evidencing the benefits mindfulness has around mental health and the impact of that in the workplace. Here at The Mind Hub we offer a range of solutions to help you embed mindfulness into your wellbeing strategy including:
Introductory workshops
8-session MBCT Mindfulness course
'Drop-in' meditation sessions
1:1 and team mindfulness
Bespoke mindfulness sessions
Following a recent MBCT Mindfulness for Wellbeing course run by The Mind Hub at UCB Pharma in Slough:
100% of survey respondents feel they have extra skills to be able to help themselves in challenging times.
Get in touch with us at hello@themindhub.co.uk to find out more
Our Top 5 Tips for Mental Health Awareness Week
1. Start a conversation. Ask people what they think about mental health in general.
2. Get outside. It is scientifically proven that getting out of unnatural spaces and going outside can positively impact our mental wellbeing. Have a walking meeting or set up a lunchtime walking group.
3. Bonding. Bonding doesn't always have to be doing physical or mental challenges together. Simply arranging an informal team get together over a coffee to find out more about each other can be really uplifting, fun and helps to foster a friendly team environment. With genuine interest ask people what their hobbies are, if they have any pets, what their chosen superpower would be and why, what are their plans for the weekend and what was their first ever job, for example.
4. Reach Out. If you have concerns about someone, kindly ask them how they are and when they say 'fine', ask them a second time how they really are. That person has a choice whether they open up to you or not but please do not worry about offending them in any way, you may just be the lifeline they need or at the very least they know someone cares.
5. Meditate! Book some quiet space and hold a meditation session, offering colleagues a chance to relax and reset during the working day. If you feel uncomfortable about doing this, why not invite us in to guide you?
If you would like to know more about the services The Mind Hub offer, feel free to get in touch with us at: 07776 132083 | hello@themindhub.co.uk | www.themindhub.co.uk
Be mindful,
Tricia