Developing a supportive culture for mental health

We all get anxious.  Perhaps you’re anxious over your kids’ exams, a parent’s health or how you are going to pay the bills. These worries are unavoidable and are just part of the day-to-day journey of life. However, many of us, me included, have had significant anxiety from work.

Work consumes a significant chunk of our waking moments but when things worry you at work, it bleeds over into your personal time with sleepless nights and little space to clear your head and recharge.

At Oxehealth, we recognise that mental health is just as important as physical health. We know that if we can support staff with their health, and encourage and develop a supportive culture, we will all benefit. Developing that culture is not done in a single campaign, a training programme or a team offsite… It’s built slowly and surely by the everyday behaviours shown by everyone. Some of these things might seem insignificant but together they can make a difference. So, this Mental Health Awareness Week, we’ll share just some of the things that make us all a little less anxious:

·       Playing to people’s strengths: we want people to do the jobs they are great at doing, so instead of focusing on how we can address any weaknesses, we look at how we can align roles so that we can really play to their strengths.

·       Saying well done and thank you…. A lot. We constantly share the work people do, which has made a difference and we recognise those who’ve gone above and beyond to know that their efforts are valued and appreciated.

·       Focusing more on doing things right rather than hitting specific targets in specific timeframes. We value team work and know that although we might move faster working alone, we will work smarter as a team and take everyone along with us.

·       Supporting people to take timeout: we encourage people to take time for themselves and work in a way that works for them. So, if you want to do your 1-2-1 meeting whilst walking the dog, go ahead.

Written by: Karen West (Head of Transformation at Oxehealth)

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