Mindfulness at work: Supporting employee wellbeing

At UnitedUs, our people are our power. They come with their own hobbies, backgrounds and goals, as well as their own concerns, and worries that aren’t always easy to leave outside the office door. It’s part of being human. On World Mental Health Day 2024, I wanted to take a moment to recognise the small things we can do at work that can help make a positive difference to people’s wellbeing.

Like most people, I have my fair share of struggles, and one of them is keeping my anxiety at bay. This emotion, which is here to keep me safe from danger, springs into action to combat daily pressures; whether that’s meeting deadlines, health scares, life admin, or making sure my team have the resources they need to be awesome. To keep balanced, I’ve turned to mindfulness, yoga, meditation and bouldering. It’s made a world of difference to me, and I believe it can help others too.

I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling overwhelmed, anxious or like I need a helping hand at times. Having a trusted support system to turn to is super important, but people don’t always look for that in the workplace. Many are still uncomfortable opening up about their mental health at work or disclosing if they need help. But I don’t think it should be this way. In a time when mental health is on everyone’s minds, we need to make sure that organisations and the people in them are equipped to handle what work – and life – throws at them.

From self-practicing meditator to mindfulness ambassador

Being a keen mental health and mindfulness advocate outside of the office, I wanted to bring this into the work environment. During Bacon and Waffle, UnitedUs’ bi-weekly meeting where a member of the team talks on a certain topic, I decided to focus mine on the benefits of mindfulness and meditation. I shared how mental health and mindfulness has helped me, as well as a few practices that the team can use in their own time. I’m happy to say that it landed! After the session, a few of the team came up to me and asked if we could have a weekly session, and viola, Mindful Mornings started in the UnitedUs studio.

Each Tuesday, I host a 20-minute session to connect as a team and turn our attention to a mindful activity. These include short meditations, mindful stretches, breathing exercises, quick yoga sessions, and gratitude activities. It’s created a warm, supportive environment where people can dip in and out if they need a space to just take a break, and a breath.

I’m so proud to have started something that feels like it makes an impact to my team, even if it’s very small. I would encourage everyone to start something like this at work too. Even a 5-minute breathing or gratitude exercise can make a big difference.

I really look forward to our mindful morning sessions each week. I find them a safe space to be able to share how I’m really feeling and to talk through that with the group. While I meditate regularly anyway, I’m enjoying being introduced to other practices that I’ve not considered before.
Gemma Maxey, Client Services Director at UnitedUs

Balancing time for projects and people

How can a Project Manager pull people away from work to do breathing exercises? Surely this isn’t an efficient use of everyone’s time? That’s just not the case. Regular mindfulness activities can have a positive effect on wellbeing, provide stress relief and improve concentration, which all help us to be more efficient. I’ve even found research to suggest that it can help with creativity, as you block out the noise, and make space for your mind to wander through different creative paths. Luckily, my team are pretty well stocked with creativity, but I’d like to think it provides a little extra room in their brain boxes, to get the juices to flowing.

“We have physical first aiders at UnitedUs, so why don’t we have it for mental health too?”, after noticing the impact of Mindful Mornings, UnitedUs Partner, Natalie Burns asked me if I wanted to complete a Mental Health First Aider (MHFA) course. Having an official UnitedUs MHFA in the office supports our shared ethos of ensuring wellbeing right across the studio.

Before the two-day intensive MHFA course even started, my coping skills were put to the test. On arrival, I quickly learned that I was not at the correct location and did not receive the email with the venue change. Panic set in and I got in touch with the course leader, who informed me that the venue wasn’t too far away – but was in a remote location that wasn’t very accessible.

Not only did I learn skills to help me cope the next time I found myself at the wrong venue, but I also learned how to recognise when a person is in distress and strategies to help or signpost them to the correct support. What I gained from the course was invaluable and has helped me not only at work but also in my personal life.

Before taking this course, I wasn’t aware that there was such a thing as a Mental Health First Aider. After finishing the course I realised how important this is, as a high percentage of the workforce struggles with anxiety, depression and other mental health issues and the associated stigma of struggling through that. I learned simple coping mechanisms and effective communication techniques to confidently deal with these situations. I have these skills in my back pocket (along with my climber’s chalk), if required.

Beyond mindful practices

But being an MHFA is not the same as being qualified to counsel or provide therapy. If companies can, it’s still important to consider having external support, such as an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) or wellbeing care services. This makes it easier for people to get the support they need, as the often access is a big blocker. At UnitedUs we’re very lucky to not only have a MHFA, but also to have an EAP which provides both medical and mental health support. I’m also proud to say we are making a difference in the health and wellbeing brand space, too. Most recently we delivered a rebrand for Spectrum.Life, and are continued brand guardians for the global healthtech to deliver a full spectrum of care, across full spectrum lives.

During another Bacon and Waffle, I focused on Mental Health in the Workplace. I touched on the struggles that many people can face, the most common mental health illnesses and opened up a safe space for people to share their own experiences if they wanted to. While I was nervous about how it would be perceived, people really opened up about things they had seriously struggled with in the past. I walked away feeling like I had a better understanding of my team, and how they’ve overcome adversity. My hope is that everyone walked away knowing who they could turn to and where to access support if they needed it. What I thought would be a very difficult session, ended up being a super positive one. Go team!

I want to express how grateful I am to UnitedUs, and my wonderful team. It’s so important to work somewhere you feel supported, important and valued, and I can say I feel all of those things here. I’m grateful for the opportunity to run mindfulness sessions. And finally, I’m grateful for the opportunity to share this with you, in the hope that it may you to do something positive for your personal or team wellbeing.

What three things are you grateful for?