Mental
Health Blog
If you're reading this because things feel unbearable right now, please know you don't have to go through this alone. Help is available, right now, and reaching out is not a failure, it's one of the bravest things you can do. If you're in immediate danger, please call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. People you can talk to right now Samaritans – call 116 123, free, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. You don't need to be suicidal to call, and you don't need to explain yourself. They're just there to listen. Shout – text SHOUT to 85258 for free, confidential support if talking on the phone feels like too much. NHS 111 – choose the mental health option for urgent support and to be connected with local crisis services. CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) – 0800 58 58 58, 5pm to midnight daily, with a webchat option too. Papyrus HOPELINE247 – for anyone under 35 experiencing suicidal thoughts, or anyone worried about a young person. Call 0800 068 4141 or text 07860 039967. Beyond the crisis line A crisis line can hold you in a difficult moment, but longer-term support matters too. Your GP is a good starting point and can refer you into local NHS mental health services, or your employer's EAP (Employee Assistance Programme) if you have access to one, offers confidential counseling at no cost to you. If cost or waiting lists feel like a barrier, charities like Mind and Rethink Mental Illness have information lines and can point you towards free or low-cost local support, and some areas run crisis cafes or safe havens where you can walk in without an appointment. rethink Making a plan for when things feel hardest Something I talk about often in my Mental Health First Aid training is the value of a safety plan, written down before you're in crisis, so it's there when your thinking feels foggiest. The Staying Safe website has templates and short videos that walk you through building one. It's a practical thing you can do on a calmer day that genuinely helps on a harder one. If you're worried about someone else You might be reading this because you're concerned about a friend, colleague or family member rather than yourself. Asking directly whether someone is thinking about suicide doesn't put the idea in their head, it opens the door for them to be honest with you. Samaritans has guidance on how to support someone you're worried about, and it's worth a read before that conversation. Contact me if you have any questions.
Every Saturday morning, whatever the weather, roughly a quarter of a million people across the UK turn up to a park, put on a barcode, and either run, walk or volunteer their way through 5 kilometres. How awesome is that?!! That's parkrun, and it's become one of the most quietly effective mental health interventions in the country, without ever calling itself one. What the research actually found Sheffield Hallam University ran the biggest ever study of UK parkrun participants, nearly 80,000 people, and released the results on parkrun's 21st birthday. The numbers are properly good news. Almost three-quarters of participants (74%) said their life satisfaction had improved through running or walking at parkrun. A near-identical number, 73%, said the same about volunteering. Happiness, mental wellbeing and a sense of personal achievement came out as the biggest drivers. The researchers even worked out the value. Each regular participant is worth an estimated £689 a year in benefits and NHS savings, and every £1 spent on parkrun returns £16.70 in value. Free, effective, and apparently a genuinely good use of public money too. Why it works so well There's no entry fee, no pressure to be fast, and no minimum fitness level. You can run it, walk it, push a pram round it, or turn up with a hi-vis and a smile and marshal instead. The format does the work: same time, same place, every week, open to absolutely anyone. Isn't that brilliant? I now need to persuade my kids they want to do it too! Worth trying If you've got a local parkrun and you've never been, that's your nudge. Bring a friend, bring the kids, or just bring yourself and a barcode. Nobody's timing your enthusiasm for the tea and cake afterwards
Here's What the Evidence Says It's a fair question, and one worth answering honestly rather than with a big claim that doesn't hold up. The scale of the problem HSE's 2024/25 statistics found stress, depression and anxiety accounted for 62% of all working days lost to work-related ill health, 22.1 million days in total. Deloitte's most recent report puts the total annual cost of poor mental health to UK employers at £51 billion, with presenteeism (people at work but not really coping) the single largest cost at £24 billion. That last figure matters. Presenteeism costs more than absence itself. What the evidence actually supports Mental Health First Aid training doesn't cure stress or replace clinical support. What it does, reliably, is change how early a problem gets noticed and how quickly someone feels able to say something. That earlier conversation is the lever that matters. Long absences and severe presenteeism tend to follow periods where a struggling employee felt unable to raise it, or where nobody around them recognised what was happening until it became a crisis. Trained first aiders and confident managers shift that timeline. They can't promise a reduction in absence figures on their own, but they remove one of the biggest barriers to someone getting support before things escalate. The honest summary Mental Health First Aid isn't a fix for sickness absence by itself. It's one part of a wider approach, alongside clear policies, manager training and proper stress risk assessments. What it reliably delivers is earlier conversations and less isolation for people who are struggling. Given how much presenteeism alone is costing UK businesses, that's not a small thing.
A few consecutive days of sunshine and the whole country is out in shorts, squinting, declaring it "a proper summer." We both know it won't last. But while it does, there's something worth noticing. The unglamorous truth about loneliness Loneliness isn't rare or unusual. Research from the Centre for Social Justice found 58% of UK adults experience it at least some of the time, and this year marked ten years of Loneliness Awareness Week, with government and charities across the country renewing their focus on it. Most of us assume loneliness looks like isolation. Often it's quieter than that. It's the friend group that used to meet up regularly and now doesn't, or the colleague you like but never actually see outside a meeting room. Why the picnic blanket earns its place The Great Friendship Project, a London community group built entirely around informal, low-pressure gatherings, found that 73% of regular attendees felt less isolated, and 77% built real friendships, simply by turning up to picnics, park meet-ups and shared meals. No agenda. No icebreakers. Just showing up with a blanket and some crisps. That's the bit worth taking seriously. Connection doesn't need a workshop or a structured programme to be protective for mental health. It needs regularity and low effort, the kind of thing a British summer practically hands you on a plate. A genuinely easy suggestion If you manage a team, skip the forced fun day. Suggest lunch outside instead, no agenda, no flipchart. If you're reading this as a person rather than an employer, ring someone you've been meaning to see and suggest the park. The weather won't hold. Get the blanket out while it does.
Most businesses would never skip a fire risk assessment. Yet mental health risk is still treated as optional in a lot of workplaces, even though UK law says otherwise. The legal bit, kept simple Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, employers have a duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of their staff. HSE has confirmed that "health" includes psychological health, not just physical. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 go further. They require a "suitable and sufficient" risk assessment of hazards, and psychological risk counts. So this isn't really a wellbeing extra. It's a legal duty, the same category as fire safety and manual handling. Why this matters right now HSE's 2024/25 figures show 964,000 workers experienced work-related stress, depression or anxiety, accounting for 52% of all work-related ill health. That's 22.1 million working days lost, a sharp rise on the year before. Stress is no longer a background issue. It's the single biggest driver of ill health at work in the UK. Where Mental Health First Aid fits MHFA training gives you: A practical, documented control measure you can point to if your approach to psychological risk is ever questioned Managers and colleagues who can spot the early signs and respond appropriately A working example of "suitable and sufficient" support, not just a policy sat in a drawer None of this replaces a proper stress risk assessment. But it sits naturally alongside one, the same way a trained fire warden sits alongside a fire risk assessment.
A lot of hesitation about MHFA training comes down to a handful of assumptions. Here's what's actually true. Myth 1: "It's just common sense." Recognising distress and responding well is a skill, not an instinct. Most people freeze or say the wrong thing with good intentions, because nobody's ever shown them what actually helps. Myth 2: "It's too expensive." Poor mental health costs UK employers £51 billion a year, according to Deloitte's most recent figures. Training a handful of first aiders costs a fraction of losing one employee to stress-related absence or resignation. Myth 3: "It makes people responsible for fixing mental illness." First aiders aren't therapists. Their job is to notice, listen, and point someone towards proper support, the same way a physical first aider stabilises and refers on. Myth 4: "We already have an Employee Assistance Programme." An EAP only helps if people use it. Many don't, often because nobody's had the conversation that gets them to pick up the phone. First aiders are often the reason someone finally reaches out. Myth 5: "It's only needed in high-risk industries." HSE's 2024/25 figures show stress, depression and anxiety affecting nearly a million workers across all sectors, with public administration, education and healthcare among the hardest hit, but no industry is exempt. Myth 6: "One session and the job's done." MHFA is a skill, not a certificate to file away. It needs refreshing and reinforcing, the same as any other safety-critical training. Myth 7: "We've never had a problem, so we don't need it." Stigma means most organisations underestimate what's actually happening. The absence of reported problems is rarely the same as the absence of problems.
Dance is more than just movement—it is a fun way to support both body and mind. Whether you enjoy ballet, hip hop, Zumba or dancing in your kitchen, moving to music can help you feel happier and more relaxed. Dancing encourages us to focus on the moment, which can help take our minds off worries and everyday stress. When we dance, our bodies release “feel-good” chemicals called endorphins. These can boost mood and help us feel more positive. Dance is also a wonderful way to express emotions without using words. Another great benefit of dance is connection. Joining a class or dancing with friends can help reduce loneliness and build confidence. Feeling part of a group is important for good mental health. There is strong UK evidence to support this. Researchers at the University of Surrey found that dance can help manage stress, improve wellbeing and build resilience by combining movement, music and social connection. The best part? Dance is for everyone. You do not need special skills or expensive equipment. Just put on your favourite song and move in a way that feels good. So, take a step, enjoy the music and let dance brighten your day—because every move counts.
I think about a lot is the gap between how someone appears at work and what they're actually going through. Many of us make assumptions based on what we can see. We notice confidence in meetings, professionalism in emails, or someone consistently delivering great work. What we don't always see is the effort, resilience, and emotional energy that may sit behind that performance. Dyslexia is a good example. Most people understand dyslexia as a difference that affects reading, writing, spelling, and processing information. What is often overlooked is the emotional impact that can develop alongside those challenges. Imagine spending years being told you're not trying hard enough when you're already working twice as hard as everyone else. Imagine worrying that a spelling mistake or typo will make people question your competence. Imagine constantly finding ways to adapt to systems that were never designed with your needs in mind. Over time, those experiences can leave a lasting mark. Research has shown that people with dyslexia are at a higher risk of experiencing mental health challenges, including anxiety and low self-esteem. A 2024 study published in the journal Dyslexia found that dyslexia is associated with an elevated risk of anxiety and other mental health concerns, highlighting the importance of understanding the wider emotional impact of neurodivergence. Yet despite growing awareness around neurodiversity, many workplaces still aren't having open conversations about dyslexia. Too often, support focuses solely on practical adjustments while overlooking the emotional weight that individuals may be carrying. The reality is that many employees with dyslexia have become experts at adapting. They develop strategies, use technology, double-check their work, and often mask their difficulties so effectively that colleagues never realise the challenges they face. But masking comes at a cost. It can be exhausting, increase stress levels, and contribute to burnout. Creating truly inclusive workplaces means looking beyond visible performance and recognising the whole person. It means understanding that someone may be succeeding professionally while quietly battling self-doubt, anxiety, or the lingering effects of years spent feeling misunderstood. When we broaden our understanding of neurodiversity, we create space for more honest conversations, better support, and greater empathy. Because inclusion isn't just about accommodating differences. It's about recognising the human experience behind them. And sometimes, the most important things people are managing are the things we can't see.
As an award-winning instructor, I’m delighted to have added the Mental Health Skills for Managers qualification to my portfolio. I now offer this engaging, evidence-based course to help organisations build healthier, happier, and more productive workplaces. This interactive four-hour programme gives managers the confidence and practical skills to support the mental health and wellbeing of their teams. Participants will learn how to: Understand mental health and the impact of workplace stress. Recognise the signs that someone may be struggling. Start supportive and meaningful conversations with confidence. Respond with empathy in challenging situations. Signpost colleagues to appropriate support. Protect their own wellbeing while leading others. What makes this course different? Available face-to-face or online . Highly interactive, with discussions and practical activities. Small groups encourage participation and shared learning. Real-life scenarios help embed skills that can be used immediately. The benefits for organisations By investing in managers, organisations can: Create a more open and supportiv e workplace culture. Reduce stigma around mental health. Improve staff wellbeing, engagement, and retention. Reduce presenteeism and stress-related absence. Build resilient teams where people can truly thrive. Everyone who completes the course receives a certificate of attendance, practical resources, and a workbook to support continued learning. I’m excited to deliver this impactful training and help organisations place wellbeing at the heart of outstanding leadership.g this impactful training to organisations that want to place wellbeing at the heart of exceptional leadership.
Managers are often the first people to notice when an employee is struggling. Changes in behaviour, reduced performance, increased absence or withdrawal from colleagues can all be early indicators that someone may be experiencing poor mental health. Yet many managers report feeling ill-equipped to have these conversations, worried about saying the wrong thing or making the situation worse. This confidence gap matters. According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) , managers play a crucial role in supporting employee wellbeing, but many receive little or no formal training in mental health. Without the right knowledge and skills, warning signs can be missed, leading to issues escalating before appropriate support is offered. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training helps bridge this gap. It does not train managers to become counsellors or therapists. Instead, it equips them to recognise the signs of common mental health problems, approach sensitive conversations with confidence, listen without judgement and signpost colleagues to appropriate professional support. The need for these skills has never been greater. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) reported that work-related stress, depression and anxiety accounted for 17.1 million working days lost in 2022/23, making it one of the leading causes of workplace sickness absence. Many employees continue working while struggling, reducing productivity and increasing the risk of burnout before anyone realises they need help. Managers who understand Mental Health First Aid are better positioned to identify concerns early. A supportive conversation at the right time may encourage an employee to seek help before their wellbeing deteriorates further. Early intervention can reduce the likelihood of prolonged sickness absence, improve employee engagement and demonstrate that the organisation takes mental wellbeing seriously. There is also a compelling business case. Deloitte's research estimates that poor mental health costs UK employers £51 billion each year through absenteeism, presenteeism and staff turnover. The same research found that organisations investing in effective workplace mental health initiatives achieve an average return of £4.70 for every £1 invested . Managers are central to making those initiatives effective because they influence team culture, workload management and psychological safety on a daily basis. Investing in Mental Health First Aid training for managers is not simply about compliance or fulfilling a wellbeing strategy. It is about giving leaders the confidence to respond appropriately when someone needs support. Employees are more likely to speak up when they believe they will be listened to and understood, and organisations benefit from improved retention, stronger engagement and healthier, more resilient teams. Supporting mental health is no longer solely an HR responsibility. It is a leadership skill, and every manager should have the confidence to use it.