April is Stress Awareness Month: Let’s Talk About Mental Wellbeing at Work
Stress Awareness Month, observed every April, is a time to open up conversations around stress, mental health, and wellbeing—especially in the workplace.
In the UK, work-related stress, depression, or anxiety accounted for over 50% of all work-related ill health according to the latest data from the HSE. This isn’t just a wellbeing issue—it’s a business one too.
So how can we manage stress better, both at work and outside of it? And what should employers be doing to support their teams?
Managing Stress at Work
A supportive workplace culture is key. Employees should be encouraged to set boundaries and know when to switch off from emails and calls. Our contracts of employment detail our working hours and breaks, so its vital that we encourage our employees to take those breaks, take a walk outside and get some fresh air to help maintain focus and reduce burnout. Workplaces can allow employees to talk openly and by speaking up, this can help to ease and reduce pressure.
Managing Stress Outside of Work
Life outside work plays a huge role in overall stress levels. Some ways that can help reduce stress outside of work include, getting outside for a walk or breathing in the fresh air, this can lift moods and reduce tension. Prioritise sleep and reset and make sure that we take time away from screens, phones and social media to help reset the mind.
What Employers can do
Creating a mentally healthy workplace isn’t just nice to have—it’s essential. Best practices include training for managers to help equip leaders to spot the signs of stress and respond with empathy. Ensure that you have robust stress and mental health policies in place and if possible, get some employees trained to be Mental Health First Aiders. Allow employees to have open and honest conversations to help reduce the stigma but to also share that burden that employees may be feeling. Provide support services through Employee Assistance Programmes and wellbeing days and ensuring that employees take their holidays. Introduce Wellbeing Action Plans when employees are starting to show signs of struggle, or after they return from a period of sickness absence.
If you’re an employer looking to strengthen your approach to mental health and stress management, I can help.
From developing tailored policies to running engaging, practical workshops for your managers, support is just a message away.
Let’s create healthier, happier workplaces—together.
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