1 in 4 of us will experience mental health problems at some point this year, yet despite the number of people suffering, it’s something people still find difficult to talk about.
We spoke to Georgina in our People Team to find out about the sort of things we can do to look after our minds whilst at work:
We all work really hard and live fast paced lives, so we need to take time to relax and recharge our batteries. Whether that’s going for a walk at lunch, or making sure you take your full break to clear your head, it’s really important to get your work life balance correct.
Working to build a healthy, happy workplace
At Bristol Energy, our People Team have worked for a number of years to implement tools and services to benefit our people’s mental health. From every day things such as our chill out area where people can go to meditate or do a puzzle in a quiet and calm space, all the way through to our confidential counselling service that employees can access 24 hours a day over the phone. As well as this, we have a team of six mental health first aiders, colleagues who have been trained to support individuals when they are going through times of stress at work or at home.
Mental Health Awareness Week is incredibly important to us; it gives colleagues the time and space to have open conversations about mental health, learn from one another and understand what we can all do better to help those suffering.
Throughout Mental Health Awareness Week, Bristol Energy will be running a series of activities to get people thinking. This will include ‘Healthy eating for the mind’, a Lived Experience session where colleagues can share their stories and some mindful walking sessions.
One of our first aiders, Charlotte, had this to say about the initiative:
I think it’s fantastic that we are investing the time in doing the right thing
Hopefully having mental health first aiders available will normalise the fact that, sometimes, everyone needs to have a chat about how they’re feeling at work.”
The more we talk about mental health, the more we can understand what we can do better to help our colleagues. It also shows the people who might be suffering that they’re not alone, giving them the confidence to come forward and get the support they need
Mental Health Awareness Week is running from the 13th – 19th of May.