This week in the UK was Mental Health Awareness Week. From the 13th until the 19th of May 2024.
It surprises me to think that this should be marked as an important event for everyone but should be specially flagged by employers.
It was really underwhelming looking through LinkedIn and other social media networks to only realise that this was barely acknowledged. Why? When a date comes around to actually help people talk about this important issue, it doesn’t get mentioned?
Seems weirdly strange and was really hoping for a lot more conversations around this theme.
It does make me come to the conclusion that Mental Health is not as important as they want to make it seem? Ever since Covid, we thought that a lot of things would be changing around work place policies. Like allowing people time to be ill, allowing people to work from home when it made sense, etc. Essentially, allowing people to have a better life/work balance.
It does feel like all of that is in the past, and more and more, companies are “forcing” people to go back to pre-Covid times. Where you would be called into HR for calling in sick more than twice a year for example. Seems a bit silly that with all the viruses going around companies, they would prefer to have people working in the office whilst not feeling well, so that they can avoid calling in sick, and taking up its consequences. Then spreading around their diseases in the office and putting everyone else ill.
Also, tying this up, how do you think all these step back on work policies will affect people’s Mental Health? Are you then going to offer a training course of Mental Health Awareness?
A Yoga class on Friday? A Casual Tuesday?
Having been through some tough stuff at different workplace environments, all of this seems a little silly. Where did it stop being a priority to look after your team? Or providing them with a safe space to be?
What policies are you bringing up for your company that has the team’s best interest in mind? What flexibility are you showing to your employees?
Here at the studio, there’s only two of us for now. But after managing different teams of people, we do honestly believe that we should all be more compassionate, kinder, more in touch with what the other person might be going through. There’s no point in making “though rules” if you expect people to give you the best they have.
We have both been through some Mental Health issues, and we truly believe that for them to be overcome you need all the help that you can get, and even that sometimes is not enough. So we will always try and look out for whoever works with us, clients or team.
Help numbers to call if you ever need to talk:
Samaritans 24/7 FREE from the UK
116 123
SANE Line
National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK
SHOUT
If you prefer not to talk, you can Text “SHOUT” to: 85258
We’re also here, should you ever need a friendly shoulder,
Look after yourself,
Ana & Joao
