SETTING OURSELVES UP FOR A MENTALLY HEALTHY 2021

There’s no doubt that 2020 was tough but, having started the New Year in another lockdown, for many people the resolve that they had last year is dwindling. With the prospect of another few winter months set to be the same, the Hearts & Minds (our mental health and wellbeing) team has been working hard to kick off the year as we mean to go on – with a focus on positivity and mental wellness very much at the top of the agenda.

 At the beginning of last year, we signed up to the Time to Change mental health pledge, for which we needed to examine our mental health offering and create a detailed action plan for the year. Having that framework in place meant that we were able to pivot quickly in supporting our staff as we made the transition to WFH. However, there’s lots more to do, and we are constantly looking at what initiatives need to be added or adapted in this ever-changing environment.

 One such initiative has been looking at how we keep staff motivated and build resilience at this tough time. So last week, we asked all staff to share both a personal and a professional goal that they have for the next three months. Making plans is a recognised way of promoting good mental health and, in a time when we have little control over so many elements in our lives, it can provide stability and give a sense of self-determination.

It also feeds into one of the key pillars of our mental health strategy for 2021 – connection. Whilst it was great to hear the professional goals, it was amazing to hear people’s personal ones – because we know when our staff can bring their whole, true self to work, they’ll be happier, healthier and more productive. We learnt that Ed plans to pick up his Japanese, Sam wants to play a game of chess a day (a beloved game from his childhood), Toby aims to run a marathon and Laura wants to get back into the personal writing projects she’s started. All these lovely bits of personal insight that help us understand and know our colleagues better are easily picked up when in the office and conversation is flowing, but it’s much harder to naturally bond with people when working from home.

In revealing our goals openly, the whole team can support one another. In fact, we’ve already seen that come to life – those who want to read more have set up a book club, those whose goal is to exercise more plan to keep each other motivated by sharing training programmes.

 The Hearts & Minds team have also been busy sharing the most up to date mental health resources and a reminder of advice on what do to and who to talk to if anyone needs help, as well as ensuring all staff re having weekly check ins with their line manager since we’ve been back. And if anyone was short on inspiration, Pam’s weekly Hearts & Minds emails offer tips on the latest podcasts, books, articles and must-watch series to help keep us entertained and inspired.

There’s lots more to come for this year, but for now, if you are interested in setting any goals for 2021, here are our tips.

BE GENTLE: on yourself and realistic – we all might love the idea of running a marathon but if you’ve never run before, maybe start with a 5k 

BE POSITIVE: Keep goals realistic to the current situation – we’re likely to be at home for a while so think of ones that will lift your spirits, even if it’s a really small thing – going on a long haul holiday might not quite be possible as much as we’d all love that!

BE VISIBLE: Write it down and keep it somewhere that you see each day. This means you won’t forget about it and have a reminder of what you want to achieve 

BE CHATTY: Talk to your colleagues, friends and family about your goals – they can help you work through how you’ll meet them and keep you motivated

Wishing you all a healthy and happy 2021.

The Hearts & Minds Tin Man team x