Mental Health Awareness Week 2023
Today marks the first day of Mental Health Awareness week. This vital week helps us to understand mental health, tackle stigma, and identify how mental health problems can be prevented and protect our wellbeing.
This year, the focus is on anxiety, which is something everyone faces from time to time, but can become a problem when it gets out of hand. In 2022 to 2023, an average of 37.1% of women and 29.9% of men reported high levels of anxiety. Compared to data from 2012 to 2015, this has increased significantly from 21.8% of women and 18.3% of men. At Walter Lilly, we have put benefits in place to help ease anxiety and improve individual wellbeing:
- Wellbeing Days: These are recognised days for when our mental health may not be up to scratch or clear enough to face the working day in a positive and safe manner.
- Mental Health First Aiders: Some of our employees are certified Mental Health First Aiders and are always available to help support those in need.
- Employee Assistance Programme: Our Health Assured membership allows employees to seek professional support if and when they need.
- Volunteering Days: Studies have shown that one way to help improve anxiety is by giving back to others, so we encourage everyone here at Walter Lilly to pursue their own volunteering endeavours.
Even the smaller things in life can help improve our mental health. Providing fresh fruit for our teams each day helps improve physical wellbeing as well as mental and our monthly team lunch helps us to stay social and connected with each other.
To support Mental Health Awareness Week, we are encouraging our team to take time out of their busy schedules to catch up with their colleagues over a coffee, recognising the importance of checking in on others and breaking the stigma around mental health and anxiety.
Walter Lilly prioritises our people as they will always be the core of the company. That’s why it is important that we continue to look after each other, provide the necessary support and continue to make mental health a priority.