The Key Learning Points:

1.Trends and themes around mental wellbeing, many emerging as a result of the pandemic

2.Lesser-known mental health conditions and the importance of language in tackling stigma

3.Areas where organisations can improve to support their staff around mental health

For the next few weeks on the Risky Mix podcast, we’re going to be exploring mental wellbeing and its impact in the workplace. We’re fortunate to be joined by the founder of Reasonful, Miriam Reason, mindfulness teacher and wellbeing consultant. And in this episode, we’re going to be exploring some of the hot topics around mental health – including the rise in perfectionism, our ‘always on’ culture, the role of technology and we’ll discuss why some of those mental health stigmas simply won’t budge.

Miriam walks us through her career journey, starting out in operations at a large insurer: “I really liked what I was doing but I felt like ‘is there something more out there for me?’”. Miriam has first-hand experience with mental health challenges and was diagnosed with depression and anxiety at age 19. She saw just how important a role her employer and boss played in supporting her recovery, so decided to explore a career move. She went on to complete a Masters at Kings in psychology, neuroscience and mental health and set up Reasonful this year. 

We ask Miriam what themes and trends she’s seeing around mental health: “There are a whole host of different things that are coming out, especially since the pandemic. Pre-pandemic, companies and people in general were already starting to be much more open about mental health..but since the pandemic we’re just seeing a lot more conversation about what companies can do to better support their employees.” Miriam explains about the impact of our “always on” culture and the concept of perfectionism. She explains that when we can’t socialise and see friends, which has been the case during the pandemic, social media and the internet become our primary ways to engage with people. So we’re being bombarded with images of perfection and idealised versions of life: “I get the impression that people are reflecting a lot more on what their life means and what drives them.” 

We also discuss some of the lesser-known mental health conditions such as eating disorders, OCD, PTSD and personality disorders. “The cost of eating disorders to the UK is astronomical and we’re seeing that that’s gotten much worse during lockdown, particularly in young people.” Miriam also dealt with an eating disorder while working and explains the challenge she faced around receiving treatment because of her weight: “Only 6% of the people who have an eating disorder are actually underweight.” 

We ask Miriam about what organisations can be doing to support employees with their mental health:

1.      Make sure you have structures that will genuinely support people ie.EAPs, and check what it’s like to actually use those services. 

2.      Mental Health First Aid programs are useful and a way to empower your teams to get involved. 

3.      Establish a wellbeing strategy and get creative around mental health. 

4.      Ensure that leaders and managers lead by example - making time for self-care and being open about their own mental health and showing vulnerability.

5.      Don’t shy away from conversations – encourage teams to be open and supportive of those around them in the workplace.

You can also find Miriam and Reasonful on  Instagram and Linkedin.