Our Account Director, Liz Griffiths, shares her thoughts from our recent wellbeing training: 

At Grasshopper we believe in creating conversations with the people around us, and having attended our wellbeing training with the Devon Partnerships NHS Trust recently, we have been reminded exactly why they are so important.

We are all managing our own pressures from our work and home life, however big or small and with that are all trying our best to maintain a positive mental health.

We spend around 60% of our time each week in work, and that doesn’t factor in the time we spend thinking about work tasks or worrying about deadlines.

While many people can maintain a healthy and positive mental health, numerous people struggle to manage day to day problems. In fact, 1 in 4 people experience a mental health problem each year and 1 in 6 people report experiencing anxiety or depression every week[1]. More often than not, this is down to the fact that people bottle up their anxieties, fears and stresses, rather than seek help or communicate their concerns with those around them.

As a result, we wanted to share some top tips that we are applying in our office, to help create a positive working environment for the team, and to ‘get people talking’.

💙 Be kind – treat others like you would expect to be treated yourself. Even when you are feeling the pressure, make sure you don’t take it out on those around you. Be sure to acknowledge when a colleague has supported you on a task or done something well by saying ‘thank you’ or ‘well done’. These small gestures can make a big difference to someone’s day.

💙 Check in with your colleagues – while we are all busy at work, there is always time while making a cup of tea or grabbing some lunch to ask your colleagues how they are or what they are planning for this evening. Quick conversations like this could help someone to open-up about any pressures they might be experiencing whether at home or at work. Getting people talking is hardest part, but can have a hugely positive impact.

💙 Make time for yourself – during our busy schedules, it is so important to find time to do something that helps take your mind off any pressures. Whether this means going for a walk or run, doing some exercise or pursuing a hobby, it is important to detach and free your mind. While this can be challenging to do, especially when you’re feeling tired after a busy day or week, it is crucial to maintaining a positive mental health.

💙 Share your concerns – if you are feeling pressure and struggling with your workload or a particular task, reach out to a trusted colleague and share your concerns. A problem shared is a problem addressed. They will be able to help you to get the support you need.

Our wellbeing training really helped to remind us all, how important these simple pieces of advice are not just for ourselves, but for the people around us too.

For more information on mental health and resilience or support services visit https://www.dpt.nhs.uk/