October 10th is World Mental Health Day. This international day of awareness and action has been recognised since 1992. Mental health activists and practitioners worldwide, work to spread the word that mental health is something everyone should care about. It’s a day dedicated to raising awareness about mental health issues and promoting the well-being of individuals across the globe.
How do we support our staff?
1. Encouraging Balanced Approaches: We encourage our staff to take regular breaks during study or work to maintain productivity.
2. Providing Comprehensive Support: We offer a range of resources and support services to our staff. This includes access to counselling services, mental health workshops, and well-being apps or platforms.
3. Emphasising Work-Life Balance: We emphasise the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance and encourage our staff to prioritise self-care.
4. Creating a Supportive Community: We strive to create a supportive learning environment where staff feel comfortable expressing their concerns and seeking support.
At Tops and Aspire, we offer a cycle to work scheme. Physical activity releases endorphins that regulate mood, reduce stress, and alleviate anxiety and depression, promoting better sleep quality, cognitive function, and emotional regulation, all of which are vital to being present and able to work well.
Promoting Communication
You can’t have a happy workplace without good communication! Promoting positive and open communication fosters trust, reduces conflicts, and supports mental well-being by creating a supportive and inclusive work environment. Creating a workspace where communicating allows staff to feel safe, gives them the chance to talk about their feelings freely.
At Tops & Aspire we have mental health reps across Tops, Head Office, and Aspire Training Team who are there to support colleagues, should they need any help with issues surrounding mental health.
We have meetings every couple of months to discuss issues/topics that may have arisen during the last few months and this is done confidentially, mentioning no names and no judgement. During these meetings, we also discuss other ways that we can help and support colleagues, discuss ways of using Facebook/other social media platforms to make more awareness of mental health, and look at how the community around us can support our colleagues further.
What Support is Available Outside of Work?
Samaritans-
You can contact Samaritans 24 hours a day, 365 days a year:
- Call 116 123 (free from any phone)
- Email jo@samaritans.org
SANEline-
If you’re experiencing a mental health problem or supporting someone else, you can call SANEline on 0300 304 7000 (4.30pm–10pm every day).
National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK-
They offer a supportive listening service to anyone with thoughts of suicide. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK on 0800 689 5652 (6pm to midnight every day).
Switchboard-
If you identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, you can call Switchboard on 0300 330 0630 (10am–10pm every day), email chris@switchboard.lgbt or use their webchat service. Phone operators all identify as LGBTQ+.
World Mental Health Day is more than just a day of recognition; it’s a global call to action. By raising awareness, we can ensure that mental health becomes a priority for all. Please reach out to a family member, friend, colleague, or one of the helplines above if you are struggling. You are not alone.
