The theme for World Mental Health Day on Thursday, 10 October, 2024 was prioritising mental health in the workplace. There has never been a better time to prioritise mental health in the workplace!

Marissa Desoysa, People Change Lead at the Department of Work and Pensions, on her thoughts on this year’s theme.

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In our fast-paced world, more employees are experiencing chronic stress than ever before potentially leading to burnout. Burnout doesn’t happen overnight – it's gradual and can take hold before you’re truly aware of it. We must therefore unite in educating ourselves and one another to recognise the signs of poor mental health and provide mutual support so that we can create healthier, more resilient workplaces where mental wellbeing is a priority for everyone.

In considering the wider theme of burnout, I began to think about self-care and self-compassion.

Working hand in hand

While self-care - taking time for ourselves to recharge – is vital, I’ve come to realise it's just the beginning of what we need for true wellbeing.  Self-care practices like cosy evenings or quiet moments for yourself can certainly help reduce stress, but lasting resilience requires self-compassion. Being kind and understanding towards ourselves, especially in tough moments, builds a foundation for growth. Self-compassion allows us to navigate setbacks without harsh criticism, offering ourselves the same empathy as we would give a friend or work colleague.

This has made me reflect on what is the difference between these two core principles and why we need both in our lives.

Self-care: This, for me, is all about the day-to-day activities we undertake to look after ourselves. Practical things that you can do for yourself to support your own mental wellbeing. Some of mine are spa days, eating chocolate, going for a walk or practicing yoga. But it also can be choosing those ‘harder things’ like making the appointment to see your GP, having those difficult conversations, and learning to say no to people who demand your attention and time constantly. It could also be just as simple as switching off your phone and acknowledging that you need some time out to recharge.

While I do practice self-care on a regular basis, I am not always as good at self-compassion and can be my worst own critic. Often blaming myself for things and not giving myself credit for things I do. This has led to a lack of self-belief and at times has held me back from promotion and other opportunities. I have learned the hard way that we need to practice both.

Self-compassion: This is the way you talk to yourself, your mindset, and the inner dialogue. It’s about turning compassion inwards. It’s about being kind to ourselves rather than critical when we fail or make mistakes. We need to give ourselves support and encouragement rather than being cold or judgemental when challenges and difficulties arise.

It’s not just about taking bubble baths and lighting candles although these things can really help at times. It is about the thoughts and comments that run through our mind, that inner voice telling us we are no good or we are at fault. We often are harder on ourselves than we would be to our friends - ask yourself would I say this to my best friend if they were going through a similar thing in life?

Going deeper

Giving ourselves a hard time doesn’t make us feel any better. Most people find it much harder to treat themselves with compassion.  We tend not to be taught how to be self-compassionate and yet I believe it is vital to our wellbeing and will help us make mental health a priority in the workplace.

Pay attention to those inner voices and be aware of them and supporting colleagues to do the same will make a huge impact in our workplaces. Once we begin to recognise these voices you can find ways of dealing with them and addressing them.

Dr Kristen Neff’s (University of Texas) research on self-compassion involves three core elements: mindfulness, self-kindness, and common humanity. Dr Neff believes that by practicing mindfulness, being kind to ourselves, and general humanity we have a higher chance of achieving happiness and self-compassion in our lives.

I believe that to help prioritise mental health in the workplace we need to encourage both self-care and self-compassion. By practicing self-care and self-compassion, we will see the difference it makes in our own lives, leading to increased feelings of happiness, optimism, curiosity, and connectedness as well as decreasing anxiety, depression, and fear of failure. All great aspects of a thriving workplace.

So, let’s embrace self-care, but also go deeper, inviting self-compassion to help us truly flourish.

With thanks to Marissa Desoysa, People Change Lead at the Department of Work and Pensions,

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Self-care and self-compassion are core tenets of Mental Health First Aid courses, as we believe that no one can ‘pour from an empty cup’.