Stress at Work

How to help a friend who is struggling with their mental health

How to help a friend who is struggling with their mental health

Supporting a loved one through mental health challenges can feel overwhelming, however even small gestures can make a meaningful difference. If you're wondering how to help a friend with mental health concerns, the most important thing you can do is show up with patience, kindness and an open mind. You don’t need to have all the answers — listening and offering a safe space can go a long way.

Whether your friend is experiencing anxiety, depression or another challenge, learning how to help a friend with mental health problems can ensure you offer the right kind of support while also taking care of yourself.

Ahead of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week, in which the national theme is “Community”, this week guest writer Beth Rush returns for her fourth article for Calmer, sharing an overview of different mental health conditions, effective communication strategies to help a friend in need, and practical ways to offer them support.

Why organisations that prioritise mental health at work are winning

Why organisations that prioritise mental health at work are winning

What does it mean to you to meaningfully invest in mental health at work?

There are so many ways to look at this, and organisations are increasingly recognising their responsibility to address mental health in the workplace.

For us, it means going beyond offering the occasional wellness webinar or posting about mental health awareness on social media. It involves embedding mental health awareness, education and support into an organisation's culture, team dynamics, and leadership structure - as one of our long-term valued clients Rickard Luckin puts it, embedding wellbeing “into the DNA of our firm”.

Last month, our team launched our brand new online course for senior leaders and managers: Managers introduction to mental health at work. We are so excited to add this product to our roster of services and support as many people as possible through this accessible training. All drawn from our years of live training experience, coming across the most pressing issues and questions raised in our sessions about managing mental health at work, we are beyond proud to create this set of bite-sized training modules.

To mark this product launch, we interviewed our founder and director, Tania Diggory, to dive into how mental health education has evolved over the years, debunk mental health myths, and explore why workplace mental health training is more pertinent now than ever before.

How to start a conversation about mental health

How to start a conversation about mental health

Today marks Time to Talk Day 2023, a day recognised by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness in support of ending the stigma that still surrounds mental health.

While we’ve come a long way in taking mental health issues seriously, sadly there is still a stigma attached to the term ‘mental health’. Whether that’s in the form of embarrassment, shame or denial, the reality is it can prevent individuals from either acknowledging their own mental health concerns, or talking about it openly with others.

How to navigate conflict at work

How to navigate conflict at work

We’ve all been there — sitting across from a coworker or boss, whether in person or virtually, feeling that knot in our stomachs as we gear up for a difficult conversation. Whether it’s confronting a colleague who keeps dropping the ball on shared projects or discussing a well-deserved pay raise with a difficult manager, tough talks at work can be daunting and scary.

But here's the reality: you can’t avoid conflict at work forever. The good news? With the right strategies, you can handle these difficult conversations in a way that leads to resolution rather than escalating into further conflict.

This week, we welcome Pinky Ghadiali to share her perspective on ways to resolve different types of conflict at work, empowering you to lean into tough talks with confidence.

Fertility Awareness in the workplace: how employers can make all the difference

Fertility Awareness in the workplace: how employers can make all the difference

This National Fertility Awareness Week, we welcome Anita Guru, Business Development Manager at Fertility Network UK, to share the importance of raising awareness of fertility in the workplace, why a fertility policy is essential for employers to have in place, and why nurturing a supportive work environment for people going through fertility challenges is key to reducing stress and mental health issues.