Mental health can be defined as the level of psychological wellbeing of a person.

At Where Women Work, we regularly hear from our community of Prime Employers for Women that good mental health is important in their workplaces as employee wellbeing is certainly key to performance.

Marking Mental Health Awareness Week

Hosted by the UK's Mental Health Foundation, Mental Health Awareness Week takes place annually and the 2020 theme is #KindnessMatters.

The week aims to raise awareness about mental health issues around the UK, encourage efforts to support mental health, and provide an opportunity to speak openly about mental health issues.

Mental Health Awareness Week provides a useful opportunity to reflect on the many ways that workplaces can have a positive impact on individuals.

It's also an opportunity to celebrate the progressive companies who consistently focus on employee's physical, mental and emotional wellness.

A separate event, World Mental Health Day, also occurs annually (in October) and offers further opportunity to consider the importance of mental health.

Mental health in the workplace

The importance of employees' mental health is well understood by many companies and, increasingly, more emphasis is being placed on positive wellbeing within the workplace.

A company-wide focus on mental health can help support positive results because a happy, healthy employee can be more focused, motivated and productive - all key ingredients to individual and business success.

The workplace can be stressful due to high-pressure environments, demanding deadlines, office politics and long working hours. Thankfully, with much research and open discussions about mental health, many companies recognize the impact workplace has on employees.

Many companies offer a range of supportive initiatives addressing the mental wellbeing of their employees. For example, to support their employees companies are providing a range of mechanisms including open workplace discussions, informative workshops, online tools and information, flexible working options, and access to supportive mentors.

Maintaining good mental health

It's important to remember that, regardless of what support is on offer from employers, individuals need to take responsibility for their own wellbeing. As well as making the most of resources that might be available from employers, Mental Health Awareness Week provides a great opportunity to reflect on key personal strategies that can be adopted.

Tips for trying to maintain positive mental health include:

• talking about your feelings
• keeping active
• eating well
• drinking sensibly (not relying on alcohol to change your mood)
• keeping in touch with friends and family
• asking for help when needed
• taking regularly breaks when possible from projects
• doing hobbies and activities you're good at
• accepting who you are as a person
• accessing relevant local community services

Is mental health a priority at your company?

Is your company providing enough support for you and your colleagues to ensure positive mental wellbeing?

If not, perhaps it's time to look for a new employer who can help ensure your time at work is supported.