How to Champion Mental Health in the Workplace

Business Health Matters and Lancashire Mind are encouraging businesses across the county to champion mental health within the workplace and assess current working practices to make 2022 the ‘Year of Employee Wellbeing’.

With 1 in 6 workers experiencing stress, anxiety or depression, supporting mental health and wellbeing in the workplace has never been so important and good practice doesn’t have to cost the earth.

Embrace open dialogues surrounding mental health in the workplace

Creating a workplace culture where staff of all levels of seniority feel they can speak openly and ask for support is vital, not only in promoting positive health and wellbeing but also for general productivity, staff retention, team connectivity and overall business success.  

Great business leaders understand that good mental health and wellbeing within the workplace starts at the top, and this means that management teams and business leaders also need to prioritise their own mental health.

Sharing challenges transparently often helps to connect teams and remind colleagues that we are all human and can only do our best.

How do you connect your team virtually?

Feeling connected in a virtual world can be challenging, especially with diminished levels of human interaction.

Pick up the phone instead of sending emails, take virtual tea breaks with colleagues and put five minutes aside to ask how someone is feeling.

How well do you know your team?

Are you aware of which colleagues need more support?

Do you know which team members live by themselves or reside in busy households and may struggle to find quiet spaces?

Prioritise check-ins, 1-2-1s and team brews, and don’t be afraid to ask someone how they are feeling.

Set healthy boundaries

When the lines between work and home blur, it can be difficult to distinguish positive workplace boundaries.

Do staff send emails out of hours, regularly work at weekends and reply on annual leave?

If so, then you may need to assess your overall wellbeing approach and remind staff that downtime is important.

Management teams should also look out for each other and ensure that they prioritise their own mental health and wellbeing, creating a culture where all staff feel valued, supported and able to share challenges.

Encourage daily activity

Regular physical activity is associated with lower rates of depression and anxiety across all age groups, and is a key part of keeping a healthy, productive workforce.

Why not introduce virtual-walk-meetings, or allow flexible working to encourage employees to exercise during their breaks?

Walks in the fresh air or taking time to stretch in between meetings can help boost energy levels and overall wellbeing.

If the past two years have taught us anything it is that we never know what is around the corner and that mental health is no longer the taboo subject it once was.  

Championing mental health and wellbeing at work could be our chance to create a happier, more productive and engaged workforce, and surely that is a winning formula for all.  

Find the right support for your business today, click here to view the services available.

3 Ways to Improve Workplace Health and Wellbeing in 2022

Every business is driven by the people working within it and without healthy, positive and energised team members, productivity drops and businesses begin to slow down.
So we’re sharing some ways for business owners, directors, HR managers and line managers in Lancashire to get 2022 started in the best (and healthiest) way.

Follow the tips and advice below to help improve the health and wellbeing of your employees

But firstly, what is workplace health and wellbeing?

The term refers to the support, management and promotion of both the physical and mental health of all employees in an organisation. Over recent years, there has been a shift in how we work and our attitudes to our own health and wellbeing, which has been heightened by the Covid-19 pandemic. Now is the time for businesses in Lancashire to benefit from this and support their employees to achieve better workplace health.

Below are three ways to get started this January!

Survey your staff:

The best way to identify what needs to change is to ask questions. By using suggestion boxes, or simple survey software such as survey monkey, short doodle polls or smart survey, employees can anonymously answer questions on topics such as overall health, working environment, working culture and share their ideas for change.

Why not empower one of your staff to become a workplace health champion and they can lead on collating staff feedback?

Motivate your team:

Group activities, competitions and challenges are great ways to motivate your team and spark more energy in the workplace. By running a physical activity competition, employees will be motivated to compete against each other and win a prize for their efforts. The competitions can be as challenging as you require them to be and could include a lunchtime press-up or squat contest, a team sport activity or a prize draw entry for each time an employee shows they have walked 10,000 steps in a month.

Another way to motivate your team would be to start a conversation about physical and mental health in your workplace with wellbeing workshops, growing their awareness of their own health and showing them that their health is your priority. See what workshops are available here.

Be flexible:

Many workplaces have embraced a more flexible approach to working over the last two years. When possible, promoting an adaptable work pattern such as remote working and flexible hours can alleviate stress levels and allow employees to enjoy a more relaxed feel to the working day.

Introducing wellbeing hours can have a huge impact on staff wellbeing, where employees are encouraged to take some time outdoors, exercise and do things they enjoy once or twice a week.


Workplace health begins with a single step and by implementing one or two of the suggestions above this month, your business will already be on the journey to a healthier and more productive future!

To find out more about how Business Health Matters can help with our free training and our comprehensive screenings developed right here in Lancashire, please click here.