Each year, October 10th is celebrated as World Mental Health Day. We are so pleased that this year, the World Federation of Mental Health has set improved mental wellness in the workplace as the focus of the day.
Mind Fitness are passionate about improving mental wellbeing in business. We work in companies of all shapes and sizes, giving managers and staff simple tools and techniques to look after their mental health.
We offer this training because the number of people suffering from mental ill health is now one in four. The scale alone means it can no longer be brushed under the corporate carpet.
You might have seen last month the report, for example, that said that the numbers of fire fighters suffering from stress had risen by 30% in less than 6 years. The effects of mental ill health on businesses as well as the people in those businesses can be profound. The Centre for Mental Health says that the financial cost to British Business of mental ill-health is 26 billion pounds per year. The Health and Safety executive reported that 11.7 million working days were lost last year due to stress and stress related illness.
We all know and accept that we have to look after our physical wellbeing. The time has come when to give as much attention to our mental wellbeing.
Mind Fitness teach techniques that can be evidenced through science and we explain the science behind these techniques as we go through. The cognitive programme gives people we work with simple tools to identify unhelpful beliefs, challenge and reposition them. It is about learning not to self-sabotage, not to get in our own way. We also use mindfulness-based exercises to teach simple methods to reduce anxiety and to be in the best possible state for the new ways of thinking to happen and become embedded in daily practise.
Companies buy us in for a variety of reasons. Most value their staff and want to invest in their mental health and wellbeing. For some the main objective is to improve the bottom line by reducing absenteeism, inefficiencies caused by stress and the costly turnover of staff due to mental ill health. Sometimes companies have a particular issue to solve or address – the most common of these is the need for staff to embrace current or forthcoming change. We work with the company to build a programme that takes these factors into account and will have the most impact for the organisation. We are also happy to set up wellbeing weeks or extended programmes.
This is the time to accept that mental health is the prime target for all sectors and sections of society to focus on in order for us all to live longer, happier and more productive lives. What could be more important than that?
