Mental Health Awareness Week 2022

9^th May 2022 marks the start of Mental Health Awareness week in the UK. Each year there is a theme, to give people an important topic to talk about. This year’s theme is Loneliness.

Loneliness is becoming one of the primary factors contributing to mental health problems across the UK, affecting millions. With the pandemic isolating us from family, friends, and work life, it’s been hard to adjust to and now things are opening back up, it can be daunting to get yourself back out there.

Here at dbfb, we understand that mental health is just as important as physical health, which is why we take the time to reflect on how we can make our workplace somewhere people can talk, and how we can help each other to tackle issues like loneliness. There are many things we can do to give each other a safe space at work, to be open about mental health and know that loneliness is mostly a feeling and not a reality. Being able to talk about mental health problems at work or at home can help to tackle the stigma surrounding mental health and sharing thoughts and feelings can help prevent the feeling of loneliness. 

“People should feel they can say ‘I am struggling mentally’ just as easily as they would say ‘I have a cold’, without judgement or negativity.  Our emotional state effects how we make decisions and interact with others. Therefore, having an open and supportive culture is mutually beneficial in the workplace, and should go a long way to reducing stigmas around mental health issues and make those suffering feel less alone.”

Jess Ansell, Head of HR at dbfb

Below is a list of resources if you need to speak to a professional, as no one should feel that they have no where to turn.

Samaritans

If something is upsetting you and you need to talk to someone, you can contact Samaritans 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You can call 116 123 (free from any phone)

Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM). 

You can call the CALM on 0800 58 58 58 (5pm–midnight every day)

The Mix

If you’re under 25, you can call The Mix on 0808 808 4994 (3pm–midnight every day)

Switchboard

If you are a member of the LGBTQ+ community, you can call Switchboard on 0300 330 0630 (10am–10pm every day)