Home > Our Top Tips on Time to Talk Day 2024

Our Top Tips on Time to Talk Day 2024

January 2024


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Did you know that 63% of long-term absence in caused by poor mental health? And that, according to Time to Talk Day, nine in 10 people aged 16-24 would tell friends and family they were ‘fine’, even if they were struggling with a mental health problem?

Time to Talk Day on 1 February is an annual awareness day run by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness. It is a UK wide campaign to create supportive communities through open communication and the organisational aim is to support communities by encouraging and facilitating more mental health conversations.

This Time to Talk Day Bridgehouse have put together our top tips on facilitating mental health conversations in the workplace.

1. Create a Supportive Environment

Foster a workplace culture that prioritises mental health and wellbeing. Encourage open communication by ensuring employees feel supported. This can be achieved through regular communication around the topic of mental health, providing resources and visibly supporting mental health initiatives. When employees see that the organisation values mental wellbeing, they will be more likely to disclose their own mental health struggles.

2. Training and Education

Invest in mental health training and education in the workplace. Managers and leaders should be educated on mental health and how to support team members. Equip employees with the knowledge and skills to identify and support mental health problems to empower them to contribute to a mentally healthy environment.

3. Establish Lines of Communication

Ensure that there are clearly signposted, confidential channels for employees to open up about their mental health concerns. Confidentiality is key to building trust and encouraging open communication. Providing an established process for disclosing mental ill-health and guaranteeing confidentiality will help to empower team members to open up.

4. Promote Work-Life Balance

As a business it is vital to understand and promote the importance of a good work-life balance for all team members. Encourage employees to take breaks, use their holidays and manage their workload. A healthy work-life balance will promote better mental health. Senior team members should lead by example, demonstrating healthy boundaries.

5. Normalise Conversations about Mental Health

Regularly discussing mental health in the workplace and integrating mental health into regular workplace discussions is a great way of normalising mental health at work. Keep mental health discussions going by sharing resources, articles and engaging with awareness days and establish regular check ins with employees where mental health is discussed.

Creating a workplace culture that promotes mental health is an ongoing process that needs to be regularly worked on and adapted to ensure it is effective. Promoting open conversations and good mental health is not only pivotal for maintaining well-being at work, it will also help the business to thrive. Staying on top of mental health and proactively addressing and investing in wellbeing can increase profits, reduce sickness absences, and develop a better relationship between employees and your organisation.

For more information on Time to Talk Day, visit its website here, and for helpful information on workplace mental health specifically you can access a plethora of information on the Mental Health at Work website here.