As I write this, Mental Health Awareness Week 2019 is drawing to a close. Society, it seems, is at last beginning to talk openly about mental health and recognise the need to take care of our minds as well as our bodies. This isn’t only about responding appropriately when people have a mental health condition, but also about understanding how best to promote and safeguard good mental health.
A recent review commissioned by the government highlighted the enormous human, social and economic costs of poor mental health and talked of a vision in which, “every one of us will have the knowledge, tools and confidence, to understand and look after our own mental health and the mental health of those around us”. The review also emphasised the need for employers to do what they can to create more healthy workplaces, and provided evidence to show that, “the return on investment of workplace mental health interventions is overwhelmingly positive”.
Writing for wellbeing can contribute to good mental health in many ways. Equipping employees with the range of tools it offers could not only enhance their individual wellbeing, but also help to create a more positive, supportive and productive work environment.
Heather