March 09, 2021
Article
You cannot pour from an empty cup, but so many of us are trying to do so.
As you read this article you might be trying to home school or look after an elderly relative, recover from a recent bereavement or maybe preparing for an online interview or trying to be positive for others who you worry about.
For many of us we are trying to pour from a cup which is empty, we are tired, lacking motivation and can’t cope with watching another, “How to video.”
Health and wellbeing is so vital at the moment as employers are grappling with what else they can provide employees to help them feel connected, engaged and productive. We feel connected when we feel heard. Its very simple in some ways, to give more regular feedback, time to talk and listen, time to be honest about our homelife and how it may or may not impact on our work.
How we fill our cup back up is an interesting question. In Somerset and beyond we are so fortunate to have so much talent on our doorstep which we as companies can support. We have wonderfulfree workouts provided by SASP with their #Stayinworkouts. We have Pop Up Online Wellbeing Clinics provided by New Leaf where employees can talk through their wellbeing. We have local yoga and Pilates classes provided at very low cost. Giving employees choice is so important.
This years Mental Health Awareness Week will take place in 10th to the 16th May and the theme is nature and the environment. The evidence is clear that nature is
crucial for our mental health. We can find as employers many ways to help employees engage more with nature perhaps inviting each month some bird watching from your window and sharing photographs from peoples walks. This can allow us a window into both our internal and external window of life.
The future of business is to put wellbeing at the heart of a company’s culture. After all if people are feeling anxious, unappreciated and burnt out the culture can’t thrive.
We need to fill up our cup by having purpose in what we do, we are here to make meaningful relationships in both our business and personal lives. In New Leaf we talk about developing conscious culture at work. Real change cannot be applied from the outside it must come from within. We hold a Wellbeing Meaning and Business group to help people feel connected and start to engage with themselves and their business differently. I always feel very blessed to train people as Mental Health First Aiders in businesses. You see these employees, start to grow with confidence and can become such an invaluable resource within the business as people who can intervene when someone’s mental health is declining and help to raise awareness within the business.
As employers let’s share our ideas with each other and help to fill each other’s cup. “One day you will tell your story of how you’ve overcome what you’re going through now, and it will become part of someone else’s survival guide” Brene Brown.
Becky Wright – New Leaf Workplace Wellbeing www.newleaf.uk.com
New Leaf Life Design offer Mental Health First Aid Training, Counselling and Pop Up Wellbeing Services across Somerset
There are some good free resources available to help support the health and wellbeing of your employees here are a few:
City Mental Health Alliance - Supporting colleagues
Resources to help organisations support their colleagues, including how to manage remote teams in challenging times.
Every Mind Matters - Coronavirus and wellbeing
Includes ten tips to help if you are worried about coronavirus, and advice on maintaining your wellbeing while staying at home.
Mental Health At Work - Coronavirus and isolation: supporting yourself and your colleagues
Mental Health At Work has grouped together resources to support one another’s mental health through the outbreak and through working remotely.
Mental Health Foundation - Looking after your mental health during the coronavirus outbreak
Some tips to help you, your friends and your family to look after your mental health, including how to avoid rumour and speculation which can fuel anxiety.
Mind - Coronavirus and your wellbeing
Information including practical advice for staying at home, taking care of your mental wellbeing, and finding support for benefits or housing.
A toolkit for tackling stress, including simple self-care tips, understanding your Stress Container, and a weekly wellbeing check-up.
How to grow a Moon Garden
Planting ideas for growing your own moon garden for night-time pollinators