Review of Stress Awareness Month advice from people and business relationship consultancy expert Julie Ware

As Stress Awareness Month comes to an end, we must be reminded that simply shining a spotlight on stress and anxiety is not enough to improve workplace mental health. Action needs to be taken by employers and employees alike to ensure a healthy work environment.

On a corporate level, the introduction of a wellbeing programme is a good place to start tackling mental health and wellbeing in the workplace, but there are mechanisms and tools that individuals can adopt to help immediately.

What should your mental health first aid kit look like?

The contents of any first aid kit should be based on your needs; the only difference with a mental health first aid kit is that the items aren’t physical. Instead, they are learned strategies, so you can carry your kit with you wherever you go.

Take your temperature

Any good first aid kit needs a thermometer. When did you last take your emotional temperature? It’s a good idea to regularly take your emotional temperature, which ranges from 1 (I feel completely rubbish) to 10 (I feel fabulous, on top form).

Check your symptoms

Important: this table shows how different mental health conditions can share similar symptoms – it is NOT a diagnostic tool. Symptoms can range from mild to severe; if prolonged and the effects are having a negative impact on your life, contact your GP.

Credit: People Business

Strategies to keep in your first aid kit

Social Connection: We are social creatures with emotional needs for relationships and positive connections to others. We need the company of others to feel and function at our best.
Staying Active: The mind and body are intrinsically linked. Improving your physical health automatically benefits your mental and emotional wellbeing. Physical activity also releases endorphins, which lift mood and add energy.
Managing Stress: Not all stressors can be avoided and indeed we need a certain amount of stress to thrive. These techniques will keep any stress in check and within healthy levels.
Brain-Healthy Diet: A wholesome diet, low in sugar and rich in healthy fats, can give you more energy, improve sleep and mood, and help you to look and feel your best.
Quality Sleep: Getting enough sleep is a necessity, not a luxury, for mental health.
Meaning and Purpose: Finding meaning and purpose in life is essential to brain health; it generates new cells and creates new neural pathways in the brain.

The self-care steps above are a great way to keep you mentally healthy, but if you find you are struggling with any of the symptoms associated with stress, anxiety and/or depression, that those symptoms are prolonged and having a negative impact on your life, you should contact your GP.

People Business is a specialist provider of integrated HR services offering expertise in all aspects of HR, talent and people development.