Mental wellbeing is a key part of overall health. During Stress Awareness Month, it is important to recognise how stress can affect how people think, feel and behave.
The challenge is that mental health issues are often not visible, meaning problems can develop before they are noticed.
The scale of the issue
- Around 1 in 4 people experience a mental health issue each year (UK-wide estimate)
- Nearly 8 in 10 workers report experiencing workplace stress in some form
This highlights the importance of early identification and support.
Signs someone may be struggling
- Emotional
- Anxiety or low mood
- Irritability
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Behavioural
- Withdrawal from colleagues
- Increased mistakes
- Changes in attendance
- Work-related
- Reduced productivity
- Difficulty concentrating
- Lack of motivation
What can you do?
- Encourage conversations
- Regular one-to-ones
- Listen without judgement
- Create a supportive environment
- Supportive management
- Be approachable
- Take concerns seriously
- Act early
- Workload management
- Avoid unrealistic deadlines
- Monitor overtime
- Balance workloads
- Provide support options
- Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs)
- Signposting to external support
- Wellbeing initiatives
Quick check
- Would your managers feel confident having a wellbeing conversation?
- Do staff know where to go for support?
- Are workloads realistic?
Mental wellbeing issues are common, but early recognition and simple support can prevent them from becoming more serious.