This year mental health awareness week (9th – 16th May 2022) focused on loneliness.
Feeling lonely is not simply being alone. It comes with it a feeling of disconnection and a sense of not really being understood by anyone around you. Loneliness affects millions of people in the UK every year and is a key driver of poor mental health.
As part of their campaign this year Mental Health UK encouraged people and organisations to consider their ‘unique contribution’ in tackling loneliness, isolation and the barriers to connection.
The following suggested steps were to:
- Raise awareness
- Invite Conversations
- Volunteer your time
- Ask others to ask
More detail can be found on their website.
Loneliness & the Workplace
How can you tell if someone in your workplace is lonely?
Raising awareness is just the first step, we need to provide safe and welcoming environments where people feel comfortable to talk and support one another.
Here are some great resources from Mental Health UK to help you get some of those conversations started: Talking about mental health at work - Mental Health UK
What can employers do to help combat loneliness?
The Government-backed Loneliness Employers Leadership Group produced a report which covers what we know about loneliness & employment – and more importantly what we can do about it
The main themes are:
- Culture and infrastructure - identifying what really matters to employees and aligning with corporate values and embedding loneliness into other wellbeing and welfare activities.
- Management - the kinds of support and guidance which can help managers to identify and help the people working for them who are experiencing loneliness and the training that managers might need.
- People and networks - how people have used networks to tackle loneliness including whilst working remotely.
- Work and workplace design - how employers have tackled a dispersed workforce and the tools and systems which can promote visibility and connections.
- Wider role in the community - how some employers have sought to tackle loneliness beyond our immediate workforce
Loneliness in the Community
Whilst we concentrate on supporting businesses to shape their Wellbeing plans, we very much recognise the link between the workplace and the wider Community.
There are a number of ways that individuals and workplaces can support those in the wider community to help alleviate the risks from loneliness.
Here are some ideas to help you stay connected;
- Find an activity that you enjoy. You might have fun and meet people with similar interests
- Schedule time each day to stay in touch with family & friends
- Talk with people you trust and share your feelings
- Send card or letters, perhaps even look up a penfriend
- If you’re not tech-savvy, sign up for an online or in-person class at your local public library or community centre to help you learn how to use email or social media
- Consider adopting a pet if you are able to care for them. Animals can be a source of comfort and may also lower stress and blood pressure
- Stay physically active and include group exercise, such as joining a walking club or working out with a friend
- Introduce yourself to your neighbours