A few months back, I attended a Mental Health First Aid training course, and it, was fascinating. We looked at the prevalence of mental health in Australia – where each year 1 in 5 will experience a mental illness, and its impact on the workplace.
We learned mental health is viewed on a sliding scale and, just because you have good mental health now, doesn't mean it will always be the case, and vice versa for those already struggling.
The most important take away was, the majority of people don't feel knowledgeable or confident enough, to recognise the signs to offer help to those struggling with a mental illness or in crisis. That's what this course helped me resolve.
Next year, I'm really excited to bring to Kiandra, the Mental Health Essentials Program. This is a new initiative we are taking part in, sponsored by WorkSafe and the Victorian Chamber of Commerce, which offers mental health training and consulting.
The Program is about understanding how the mental health of our employees can impact business and how Kiandra can better support you all in maintaining your mental health, and what assistance you can get, if things start to slip. It will be a two-part program, manager specific training and then companywide training for everyone.
As we approach the festive season and the year comes to a close, I wanted to use our final newsletter as an opportunity to help you reflect on the year that has passed. As a business we have had our share of change and challenges but we've also had many celebrations and a lot to be thankful for.
While it's easy to get caught up in the Christmas chaos, it’s important to use this time to relax and recharge as well. Do you know what to do when your shoulders become tense and start creeping upwards? Are you aware of your own self-care strategies to ensure you come out the other side of this season in good physical and mental shape? This is a good time to reflect and get in touch with yourself.
Personally, I love the big family Christmas celebration. It's loud and generally messy, but it brings so much joy. If that's not your thing, but you have to do it anyway, make sure you find some time for yourself. Escape the chaos and walk the dog (in my case, cuddles with my cat), read a book or find whatever it is that brings you peace and contentment, and go do it.
The holiday period is a great chance to rest, recharge and refocus so we can start off 2019 anew.