Now, more than ever, it is crucial that we communicate with our friends, colleagues and community to check in on their wellbeing and ensure that people receive the support they may need in these really difficult times and beyond. 

There has been coverage in the media recently about the impact Coronavirus could have on our frontline workers with important initiatives such as Our Frontline, a partnership between Shout, Samaritans, Mind, Hospice UK and The Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, launched to support the wellbeing and mental health of frontline and key workers.

Many non-frontline businesses, nationally and globally are recognising the importance of this too. Last month myself and our Commercial Director Tom Parsley were part of a webinar panel with other fantastic organisations including Barclays, UEA, Indigo Swan and Ask to discuss the importance of wellbeing in the workplace, full details of the webinar can be accessed HERE .

Each year the Mental Health Foundation chooses a theme for Mental Health Awareness Week and this year it is Kindness. This really resonates with us, and as current situations are reinforcing, kindness and support really does make the world go round.

One of our brand values here at Selesti is Team. We are proud that this is seen daily, whether in the office or as we are now working remotely;  everyone has each others backs, we are honest and trust each other and try to live the mantra of ‘what can I do to help makes my colleagues’ lives easier?’

Some of the practical things we undertake, both pre and during lockdown, to support kindness and wellbeing include:

  • Regular check ins with people, both individually and in teams - ask how they are getting on and if they need any support or a listening ear.
  • Selestian of the Month Award; peer-to-peer nominations, celebrating amazing colleagues who have been supportive and championed our brand values. 
  • Flexible working - we were lucky to already be set up with laptops to support flexible and remote working but now more than ever it’s important to encourage flexibility and embrace that people have different personal circumstances whilst working from home and we must try to alleviate some of the pressure of juggling it all (we love seeing a pet or child in a conference call!).
  • Encouraging regular breaks, more than you might think you need - these breaks are pretty natural in the office as we have regular conversations or make a round of drinks (Selestians drink a lot of tea!) but at home it’s just as important to take a break from your computer screen and do something non-work related like go for a walk or put the washing on. 
  • Clear communication - both for staff still working and any furloughed staff - as soon as we have an update or further information, we will get in touch and are always available for any questions or queries.  
  • Reduce stress by asking colleagues what you can do to help, always think ‘is there something I can do within this task or piece of work which would make my colleague’s life easier?’
  • Access to independent mental health support and encouragement that it is good to talk.
  • Maintain a team spirit and socialness to be proud of, whether that be company quizzes, lunchtime catch ups or simply just asking ‘are you ok?’

Thank you for your time. Further information about Mental Health Awareness Week and the work done by the Mental Health Foundation can be found here: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/.