
As World Mental Health Day unfolds, I’m taking some time to reflect on my own journey with mental illness. For too long, there’s been a stigma around it, making it difficult to talk about. But through my struggles with anxiety, depression, and complete burnout, I’ve learned how important it is to treat mental health just like any other illness.
Think about it: when we’re physically unwell, we don’t hesitate to take a sick day. We know our bodies need rest and care. But when it comes to mental health, there’s often this pressure to push through, as if admitting you’re struggling is a sign of weakness. That’s simply not true. Our minds get overwhelmed too, and they deserve just as much kindness and compassion.
It’s not just me; it’s all of us. In the UK, around one in four people face mental health challenges each year. With 20% of UK employees taking leave due to stress last year, it’s clear workplace mental health must be a priority.
That’s why, after a particularly difficult period in my life, I decided to turn my experience into something positive by developing a mental health toolkit for our workplace. Be Kind to Your Mind is a comprehensive mental health toolkit designed for employees that emphasises the importance of self-care and a supportive work culture. The toolkit is packed with resources and strategies, like mindfulness exercises and worksheets, so we’re better equipped to support each other through tough times, as well as the good.
Be Kind to Your Mind is designed to help:
- Understand the most common mental health conditions: Gain insight into the five most common mental health conditions, helping you recognise early warning signs in yourself and your colleagues.
- Build daily mental health practices: The toolkit is filled with practical self-reflection tools, like gratitude journals and anxiety logs, to help manage stress and anxiety in both personal and work life.
- Support those around us: Learn to connect with friends and coworkers who may be going through tough times, with advice ranging from ways of showing empathy to conversation starters.
- Access professional support: The toolkit includes a list of professional mental health resources, such as therapy and counselling, available through workplace benefits. Helping to ensure our colleagues can access the support they need when they need it.
This World Mental Health Day, we’re calling for action to address the impact of burnout, which has become a significant challenge in our workforce. It’s up to all of us to help create environments where we can be vulnerable and support one another with kindness through all of life’s events, big or small.
That’s why we’re making our Be Kind to Your Mind toolkit available to you, and to everyone. To download the full toolkit click here.
Through my own journey, I’ve learned that mental health isn’t something we have to face alone. Together, let’s build a future where mental health is a priority forming the foundation of a thriving and strong workforce.