Mental Health Awareness Week
by Edward Malkin
As many of you are aware from the 9 May to the 15 May 2022 is mental health awareness week, which looks an emphasising the importance of monitoring your mental health and seeking support if there is anything which is affecting it.
With the lingering affects of COVID-19 and the changes that have occurred to our lives following the pandemic, it is even more important to look after our mental health.
The main focus of mental health week this year is the effects that loneliness has caused to people in their personal and everyday lives. A lot of companies are now looking at working from home polices which will allow employees to work from their homes rather than attending the office. This is one of the main causes of the loneliness as working from home isolates you from your colleagues and team. In everyday lives, having access to online portals that allow for video calls and corresponding easier online has meant that things such as GP appointments can take place by video calls. Whilst this is extremely beneficial for companies and agencies in terms of being efficient and cost effective, it does add to the sense of isolation and it is limiting human interaction which has been limited from the restrictions in the pandemic.
It is extremely important that if you are feeling any form of isolation and loneliness that you speak to someone about this. There are multiple agencies which have been set up to help and support people through issues exactly like this and you should not let it go on. You can speak to friends and/or colleagues and even your employer who will be able to assist you and support you through this process.
In acknowledgment of this Greens hosted a wellbeing day hosted by Rob Coulthard. During the course of the day, we were able to focus on our work/home life balance and through then use of the Judgement Index, we were able to identify the areas in our lives in which we require further focus. This ranged from our interaction with people, to how much time we allow ourselves for self-care. It also looked at our stress levels during work and our home lives. Through completing this Index, it has allowed us, and our employer to identify the areas in which we need to focus on, whether this be at work or at home.
It is extremely important for people to engage with each other and maintain that human interaction to avoid mental health becoming an issue further down the line. If you know someone that you think may be struggling with their mental health or are lonely due to the effects of the pandemic, then connect with them and check in on them. Mental health is never something that should go unchecked and knowing that you have someone that cares about you can make all the difference to someone’s life.
For further help and support in this, speak to your GP or visit mental health websites.
