World Mental Health Day is here, and with it, an opportunity to raise the profile of mental health care around the world.
Happening on 10th October each year, the day encourages all of us to take a moment to check in with our own mental health, and the ways we can support the mental health of the people around us too. This year, the theme has been set by The World Federation For Mental Health as “It is time to prioritize mental health in the workplace.”
We are excited to contribute to raising awareness of this theme. As an organisation working hard to support the mental health of professionals and business teams to prioritise mental wellness and prevent burnout, our aim is to embed positive mental health practices in a way that’s practical and beneficial for all. Tania Diggory, Founder & Director of Calmer, believes “your mind is your business’ greatest asset”. It’s time for us to celebrate this' years’ World Mental Health Day, and this article provides you with a list of ways you can get involved too.
1. Take free stress management and burnout prevention training
One of the most common forms of poor mental health is prolonged stress. The Workplace Health 2023 Report highlights that in the UK alone, 76% of employees reported moderate to high levels of stress, and 33% reported that high levels of stress impacted productivity. We developed The Reignite Project as a free digital training course that helps each individual to identify their symptoms, understand the stages of burnout, and implement positive steps to manage their stress levels.
2. Start talking about mental health
Mental health is something 100% of us experience, and yet the balance between mental health issues and nurturing a positive state of mental health isn’t something that’s widely talked about. Take the opportunity on World Mental Health Day to bring up the subject with your friends, family, or colleagues. You can follow our guide to talking about mental health to get started.
3. Become a Wellbeing Champion in your organisation
At Calmer we believe that a happy mind makes for a happy business, and becoming a Wellbeing Champion in your workplace is one of the many ways you can help to spread this message and empower your fellow colleagues to prioritise their mental health. There are many benefits to becoming a Wellbeing Champion and Calmer has supported many employee volunteers to develop the vital knowledge and tools needed to support and empower their colleagues to manage their own mental health, and signpost to support effectively when required.
4. Try breathing exercises
One thing we can all do to alleviate stress - no matter where we are, or what time it is - is a breathing exercise. It’s something that is highlighted in each of our Mindfulness e-courses, and we hope this small yet powerful tool can help you to calm your nerves, reduce stress levels, and feel more comfortable in your body as and when you need.
5. Take up exercise
The mind and body are incredibly well-connected, so it makes sense that physical exercise can support our mental health. The NHS recommends we spend at least 150 minutes per week taking part in exercise, so see if you can meet this target - it could be through running, yoga at home, swimming, dancing, or something else that will support your mental and physical health!
6. Build your mental resilience
Sometimes, life can feel like you’re riding a rollercoaster. You may be able to see the ups and downs, but you can only minimally control the carriage you’re in. At the same time, you can learn to enjoy the ride. On a mental and emotional level, this is what resilience is.
If you work for yourself, or are considering doing so, you may wish to take our specially-designed mental resilience training. This digital course will guide you through how to best manage your work and life in general, prepare for the ups-and-downs of freelance work or running your own business, and provide new ways to support your mental health outside of a team environment.
If you work in a team, you can find out more about our dedicated webinar and workplace training course How to build and strengthen your mental resilience, and get in touch for bookings.
7. Practice mindfulness at work
Mindfulness is becoming a widely-popular form of improving office cultures, with some of the world’s largest businesses encouraging their staff to practice it on a regular basis. Discover more in our guide to mindfulness at work, or take a look at our Mindfulness e-courses for daily inspiration.
8. Create a self-care plan
Put simply, self-care is any activity taken in order to boost physical, mental, or emotional wellbeing. Creating a plan that focuses on making yourself feel comfortable, relaxed, and valued can be a simple and positive way to improve your wellbeing. Discover how to create a self-care plan in our recent guide.
9. Develop an improved office culture in your workplace
While mental health is internal to each of us, our external experiences can affect our mental state, for better or worse. If you believe your office culture could be improved to boost mental health, as well as productivity and efficiency, consider getting in touch with Calmer to explore our workplace training courses, strategy development and Wellbeing Champions scheme.
10. Look after your mental health with one of our Mindfulness e-courses
Our collection of Mindfulness guides and e-courses are drawn from evidence-based research and each aim to enhance your wellbeing in all aspects of your life. From stress relief, improved sleep, daily mindfulness and self-kindness - our courses include guided meditations, breathwork videos, book recommendations, wellbeing recipes and more.
We hope you enjoy World Mental Health Day, and implement a few of these ideas to support your mental wellbeing today and for many more days to come!