Research has shown that two thirds of people experience a mental health problem in their lifetime and stress is a key factor in this.* Mental Health Awareness Week, which is hosted by the Mental Health Foundation, aims to raise awareness and tackle this issue through combating stress.
Each day Intertrust plans to focus on a different mental health theme and hold sessions for employees to encourage them to think and talk about their own mental health and wellbeing. Lisa Kennedy from local charity Mind Jersey will be talking to employees, yoga and meditation sessions will be available, as well as internal daily podcasts providing tips and tools supporting good mental health.
There will also be a day to encourage Random Acts of Kindness across the office. Employees will come up with inspirational ideas for different ways to show kindness and will then act on these both in and outside the office.
The organisation recently arranged tutor led sessions to educate its managers about stress awareness in the workplace and set up a WOW (Walk on Wednesdays) club to encourage people to be active, get fresh air and socialise – all with the goal of helping to take care of employees’ physical and mental wellbeing.
Intertrust has also introduced a session on mental health as part of the hiring process so that employees know from the start of their journey with the organisation that it has an open and supportive environment.
Lisa Bragg, HR Director at Intertrust in Jersey, said: “At Intertrust our employees’ health and wellbeing is a priority for us, we take mental health seriously and recognise that it is as important to take care of our mental health as we do our physical health.
“We are grateful to Mind Jersey for agreeing to talk to us about this very important topic. Louise Carter, who also works in the HR team, and I recently qualified as mental health first aiders with Mind Jersey and we hope this will be a great benefit to our colleagues. We have been encouraged by the response we have had from our employees and this is a great step in changing the way people perceive mental health.”
Lisa Kennedy, Education, Information and Training Officer at Mind Jersey, said: “It is fantastic that Intertrust is supporting Mental Health Awareness Week. Tackling stress can be significant in preventing mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. Mental health issues are widespread in the population so it is extremely important to raise awareness, support those around you that are suffering from a mental health problems and to seek help if you feel you are suffering from any form of mental health illness.
“It’s great to have teamed up with Intertrust to encourage people to feel comfortable speaking about their mental health and wellbeing. ’It’s okay not to be okay'.”
For more information on Mental Health Awareness Week go to: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/mental-health-awareness-week
