World Mental Health Day

10^th October marked World Mental Health Day, and Spectrum is supporting this year’s campaign to raise awareness of mental health at work.

Spectrum works with our partners across Northern England to support patients and help create stronger, thriving communities, adopting an holistic approach which combines support for physical and mental health. But whether you’re supporting a patient, partner or colleague this month, understanding the importance of mental health (and the factors which can affect it) is key to creating a positive environment and encouraging discussion. Talking about mental health can also help to tackle stigma and encourage colleagues to feel emotionally supported.

This year, we’re asking people to simply spend 10 minutes chatting with someone you know – a friend, colleague or partner – about their mental health, creating a new conversation about a sometimes uncomfortable topic. Take 10 minutes to ask a friend:

• How are you feeling?
• How long have you felt like this?
• Who do you feel that you can go to for support?
• Is there anything I can do to help you?

And it doesn’t have to end there. Follow them up and ask how they are doing – whether it’s keeping in touch with a colleague who is ill, or coming up with ways to cheer up a friend or partner.

To find out more about supporting mental health, you can also:

• Download Spectrum leaflets on coping with stress and anxiety
• Learn more about the national campaign for World Mental Health Day, and access free posters and resources.
• Take a look at the  Workplace Wellbeing Toolkit for more tips to support mental health at work
• Boost your mental health by focusing on the Five Ways to Wellbeing, a national initiative promoting simple changes to boost your health