Mental Health at Work

This year’s theme for World Mental Health Day is “Mental Health at Work”. 

 

Given the importance of this topic, I need to start with a personal note today:  Integrity and authenticity are at the core of everything I do, so in light of the work I do in wellbeing, I need to be honest about my current situation and the context within which I write this post. 

 

My family is going through an incredibly challenging crisis at the moment, which is having a profound effect on me.  I am emotionally and physically exhausted. I am very short on time as I deal with this situation, which takes absolute priority over everything else.

 

More than ever, therefore, I feel I need to post something of value on this annual day that reminds us all to look after ourselves and each other, but it may not be as slick or extensive as I would like it to be. My natural tendency is to apologise at this point, but “mental health at work” applies to self-employed people, too, so I’ll simply acknowledge that this will be less than perfect, and treat myself with kindness and compassion.

 

So, here is our annual reminder that mental health is just as important, if not more so, than physical health.  Without it, we cannot function.

 

The evidence-based Positive Psychology tools I share here and in my workshops and keynotes form the basis of good mental health hygiene; just as we learn to wash our hands before eating, brush our teeth before bed, and get a good night’s sleep to maintain physical health, we need to develop daily habits for mental health and wellbeing.  Whether we practice gratitude, kindness, mindfulness, or work on nurturing the relationships in our lives, these tools and practices give us some protection from the worst effects of life’s challenges.  Taking care of our mental health and wellbeing during good times allows us to develop our resilience.  What Positive Psychology doesn’t do, however, is stop us from feeling pain when awful things happen. Nor should it.  It is normal and necessary to experience our full range of emotions.

 

Adults spend a significant proportion of their waking hours at work, so we can’t just practice wellbeing behaviours outside of work. We need to embed them into the very fabric of our workplaces.

 

As much of my work is in schools and other education settings, I will focus this post on wellbeing in schools.  That said, aside from the school-specific statistics and useful links below, everything in this post can be applied to any workplace setting.

 

According to the TES School Wellbeing Report 2024: UK, nearly two thirds (61%) of school staff find their workload unmanageable and 71% of respondents report that their school lacks essential funding.  These psychosocial risk factors, however, are buffered to some extent by a strong sense of working towards meaningful goals (nearly 50% of staff agree, compared to 33% in last year’s report) and feeling surrounded by colleagues who care (62% of staff agree).

How can we look after our mental health at work?

Look after yourself, look after each other.

 

Take notice!

 

If you notice you aren’t coping with small challenges as well as you used to, you are more irritable than usual, you sleep less or your sleep is less restful, you have more aches and pains than previously (or existing ones have worsened), or you have picked up unhalthy coping mechanisms (e.g. too much/too little food, too much alcohol, smoking etc), don’t ignore the signs. 

 

Be proactive about your mental health hygiene, and get help at the earliest opportunity.  Help can come from professionals, but it can also come from trusted colleagues or friends.  Don’t just say “fine” when people ask you how you are.

 

And look out for the people around you.  If they are behaving in an unusual way, if they say they’re fine but don’t appear to be, gently ask them again another time, or in a different way. Or ask someone they may be more likely to open up to, to ask them how they are and whether they need a friendly ear over a cuppa. Sometimes people find it difficult to open up when asked directly, or in a face-to-face situation.  If possible, try to open a gentle conversation during another activity, such as while making a cup of tea (rather than while sitting drinking it!), while out for a walk, while you’re driving and they’re a passenger in your car, etc.

 

On a personal note (again): In the past few days, I have found it helpful to lean into my vulnerability. I have answered the “How are you” and “I hope you are well” standard e-mail phrases with some version of “Actually, pretty rubbish, but the bit of work I’m able to do is a welcome distraction.”  For this reason, I have decided to write this blog post, despite feeling decidedly not at my best.  I am protecting myself and my mental health by balancing my needs as much as the current situation allows.  I am being kind to myself by not trying to be superhuman, I am talking to my closest friends about how I am feeling without being afraid of letting the tears flow, and I have made a first appointment with a therapist.

 

Mental health is just health. There is no shame in being unwell, and we can get better with the right help and support.

Useful links

Mind – Workplace Mental Health resources and information

Education Support – Information and Resources

 

Education Support Helpline

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