Five Days of Mental Wealth
As part of the UK's Mental Health Awareness Week, we've curated five days of fantastic content which we'll be posting in bite-sized chunks. We hope to promote understanding and inspire you to develop your approach to your own and others’ mental health and to think about how your organisation supports its people. Each of the five days has a theme and we'll add new content on this page as the week progresses:
Monday - PLEDGE
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About The Good Work Pledge and what it can do for your organisation
Tuesday - LISTEN
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The launch of our new podcast, 4inFour especially for the sector.
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See details below or listen here.
Wednesday - EDUCATION
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Featuring talks from leading global thinkers in mental health
Thursday - RESOURCES
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Sharing a range of free sector-specific resources
Friday - ACTION
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Ways to take action by helping yourself and others
So, why not bookmark this page and drop by every day this week for 10 minutes' inspiration. And if you or your organisation are doing something for Mental Health Awareness Week, we'd love to hear about it. Tag us (Katie Lewis and Lindsey Simpson) on social media and use the hastag #MHinfitness or email us at hello@workplacementalwealth.com.
Yours in health
Katie & Lindsey
DAY 1: MONDAY pledge
Why is it called The Good Work Pledge?
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It's called The Good Work Pledge because the characteristics of 'good work' can help prevent new mental health problems developing and support those with mental health conditions to do well at work and thrive. The Pledge is a commitment to working towards six mental health core standards, which are backed by the government and CIMSPA. Find out who are founder pledgers are and join them here.
Why should my organisation join the Pledge?
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Great question and there’s lots of reasons. Watch the video below to hear Shelley Austin talk with Lindsey about why InspireAll signed the Pledge and how they are using it to support their team.
Today we're applauding our founder signatories to The Good Work Pledge. These trail-blazing organisations have taken the lead in committing to working towards Six Mental Health Core Standards. The founder pledgers include operators, charitable trusts, sector bodies and a range of suppliers from technology to recruitment. See who they are here.
Why did we launch The Good Work Pledge?
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We launched The Good Work Pledge in response to our research findings in the first national Workforce State of Mind Survey for the UK fitness and active leisure sector, published March 2021.
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The survey showed that as an industry we need to do more to improve our approach to workplace mental health. The Good Work Pledge is a way to unite the sector to meet the challenge ahead in a planned and sustained way.
DAY 2: tuesday listen
Today we launch 4inFour, our mental health podcast, specifically for the fitness and active leisure sector. This podcast is part of our work to help create a culture where it’s as normal to talk about mental health as it is to talk about physical health.
We often hear the statistic that one in four people experience a mental health issue each year, but all of us, four in four, have mental health. It’s fluid and can change over time, much like our physical health. Many of us need support at some point in our life or will find ourselves in the company of someone who does.
This podcast invites people working in fitness & active leisure to share their lived experience of mental health. By talking openly and unapologetically, we'll encourage and normalise the conversation, helping to create understanding and change that drives happiness, health and prosperity.
Listen to our first guest, Jason McMahon, talk about the difficulties that brought him to a crisis point, how he sought help and his road to recovery.
These experiences are real and very honest. If you’re affected by any of the issues raised in the podcast, please visit our help & resources section.
More episodes will follow, so please subscribe on your podcast platform.
If you would like to talk to us about sharing your story on the podcast, please get in touch here.
DAY 3: WEDNESDAY EDUCATION
Today is all about education from leading thinkers in mental health. Below are four TED Talks that we hope will inspire,
educate and entertain.
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If you only have time for one, listen to Tom Oxley's talk called 'Workplace Mental Health - all you need to know (for now)'
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Listen to Thomas Insel for his thoughts on how we need to think differently about mental disorders for more effective prevention
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For a fast-paced and irreverent look at work, listen to Shawn Achor talk about why happiness inspires productivity
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If you're short on time, Ruby Wax talks frankly about stigma and why we respond to physical health issues so differently to mental health issues
If you want to watch all four just go to the playlist on our YouTube channel using the button above.
DAY 4: THURSDAY RESOURCES
Everyone has mental health, but every sector has unique characteristics that can impact the mental health of the workforce. Today is all about sector-specific resources for fitness and active leisure to help you understand the current context, educate yourself and others, and take action on mental health.
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ukactive's Mental Health Hub has useful links and resources, and will include recordings of ukactive webinars from Mental Health Awareness Week. Katie and Lindsey will be guests on a FREE webinar tomorrow (Friday 13th May) talking about the future of workforce mental health. Tune in live at 11.30 am if you can - register here.
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If you're looking for peer support MH1 Facebook Group might be for you to talk online with like-minded industry professionals. This is a private group with over 800 members. Find out more and ask to join here.
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Not strictly sector-specific, but it's from Nuffield Health. 'More Than Words' is an excellent research paper about the use of language and how it shapes how we think about and act in the mental health space. Well worth a read.
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Our Fitness & Active Leisure Workforce State of Mind report, published in March 2021 in partnership with CIMSPA, is the first survey of its kind to look at workforce mental health in the sector from both an individual an organisational point of view.
- Data from 1140 individuals and 81 employers in the sector
- 10 key findings
- Four recommendations
Download the report for FREE here.
And if you're an employer who's ready to take action on workforce mental health, sign The Good Work Pledge. Join organisations like CIMPSA, ukactive, FitPro and many more who have done so and are leading the way.
In this short video Shelley Austin explains why InspireAll signed the pledge and how they're using it.
You can find out more about The Good Work Pledge and sign up here.
DAY 5: FRIDAY ACTION
Education and awareness really matter, but real change needs action. On the last of our Five Days of Mental Wealth we focus on SIX different ways that you can take action preventatively and when you or someone else needs support.
1. LOOK AFTER YOURSELF
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We all have mental health in the same way we all have physical health. Both vary over time and need looking after. Many of us need support at some point in our life or will find ourselves in the company of someone who does.
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Sometimes talking to someone we know and trust is the best option - a family member, friend or perhaps someone at work like our line manager, a colleague, HR or a mental health first aider. Sometimes we need other kinds of support such as talking to our GP or contacting one of the organisations below.
If you are struggling or in crisis, please seek help - you do not have to struggle with difficult feelings alone and there are people who can help you right now.
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Call 999 if your life is in danger
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Call the Samaritans on 116 123 from any UK phone
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Text Shout anytime on 85258 for free, confidential support
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Visit StayAlive or click on the links here for websites and support including text services and helplines for different communities such as those under 35, LGBT+ and older people
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If your situation is not urgent, see NHS Choices for more information on support available to you through the NHS and other charities and groups
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For local support options visit hubofhope.co.uk and put in your postcode. This will show you a wealth of support available - you can filter by subject to help find tailored support
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The Action for Happiness website offers lots of information, an app and resources including a brilliant monthly calendar. Download the calendar each month for daily inspiration and very do-able ideas. You might also want to share it with family members, friends and colleagues. It can be a great conversation starter or a give you a positive reason to keep in touch.
2. SUPPORT YOUR COLLEAGUES
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Encourage your organisation to sign The Good Work Pledge and commit to working towards six mental health core standards. The Good Work Pledge is about taking a holistic approach that works for your organisation and team. The standards are backed by government and CIMSPA. It’s supports your people, your organisation and the customers we serve.
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If you're looking for peer support MH1 Facebook Group might be right for you or a colleague to talk online with like-minded industry professionals. This is a private group with over 800 members. Find out more and ask to join here.
3. EDUCATE YOURSELF
If you would like to explore more around mental health and wellbeing, here are some great resources that we’ve found useful, many of which are free.
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Mind - the mental health charity
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The Mental Health Foundation’s longitudinal study is researching the effects of the pandemic with regular briefings published
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MHFA England website for workplace, line manager and school resources
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Mental Health at Work website packed full of advice, tools and resources
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Visit MH1 for tools and information including the latest on a mental health questionnaire for the sector to sit alongside the PAR Q
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This Book Will Change Your Mind About Mental Health: A journey into the heartland of psychiatry - a book by Nathan Filer. Hard-hitting and useful in terms of understanding the current context
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Nuffield Health's research 'More Than Words' on mental health and language
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Losing Our Minds - What Mental Health Is and What It isn’t - by psychologist Lucy Foulkes. A book so good, we’ve read it twice, Lucy is practical and nuanced in her writing, a book well worth your time
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Get a qualification in first aid for mental health. Ask us about the training we offer for individuals and teams
4. FUNDRAISE FOR MENTAL HEALTH CHARITIES
Fundraising is a great way to support charities that are doing vital work in mental health, and there are many fantastic charities that need your help. Set yourself a challenge or perhaps involve your colleagues and customers in joining you to raise money.
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Here are a list of mental health charities that you could support. Perhaps nominate one as your organisation’s charity of the year or highlight one charity per month to create awareness and promote understanding.
5. CAMPAIGN
Lending your support and energy to campaigns that matter to you is a great way to support change. Find out about Mind’s Campaigning work and how to join in.
6. SUBSCRIBE
Thank you for being part of our Five Days of Mental Wealth. Subscribe to our mailing list to keep up to date and help us to keep supporting the sector and everyone who works in it.
