Be your whole self this World Mental Health Day. What one thing can you do to help your mental health?
Mental health problems can affect us all, at any time of our lives. The period of lockdown has hugely impacted so many of us and the need to prioritise mental health is now more important than ever, regardless of the sector within which we work or the roles we hold.
The wellbeing of staff is paramount to ITRM and is deeply enshrined within our company values. As an organisation, we are encouraging our staff to prioritise their mental health and wellbeing.
The 10th October marks the first World Mental Health Day. Many charities, organisations and individuals will be encouraging others to speak openly about this subject and make one small, but positive, change to their lives to support good mental health.
The Do One Thing campaign has been shared amongst the ITRM team and we encourage everyone to take a moment to stop and take time out of the day to dedicate to their self-care.
Earlier this month, ITRM’s Business Operations Manager, Sue Thorpe, obtained her certification in Adult Mental Health First Aid. This course has enabled Sue to develop her skills in being able to provide aid to people suffering with a range of mental health conditions.
Speaking about her training course in Adult Mental Health First Aid Sue commented -
"The course has given me an in-depth understanding of mental health and the factors that can affect wellbeing. I now have practical skills to spot the triggers and signs of mental health issues, and the confidence to step in, reassure and support a person in distress. I feel that my interpersonal skills have also been further enhanced too, such as non-judgemental listening. My learning has also provided me with the knowledge and confidence to help someone recover their health by guiding them to further support."
To better cope with the impact of home working, our staff have been able to work more flexible hours, encouraged to hold casual team calls, quizzes and we’ve happily welcomed some mini ITRMers who have made surprise, and rather amusing, appearances in some of our staff meetings. Whilst we feel we actively encourage open dialogue and time to stop and have fun within our teams it is fantastic to have Sue’s skills within the organisation and we hope that this role will provide us with the ability to better help individuals who may face mental health challenges moving forward.
Be your whole self this World Mental Health Day. What one thing can you do to help your mental health?
For further resources and details on the ‘Do One Thing’ campaign see Mind’s website. Or, for more information on training courses and Be Your Whole Self see MHFA England.