This week is the National Mental Health Awareness Week (10th – 16th May 2021) and we at Generation have been embarking on some great activities and training sessions to ensure we’re all speaking openly about Mental Health Awareness and #BreakingTheStigma !

This year’s theme is Nature and Environment – The evidence is clear that access to nature is crucial for our mental health, and millions of people discovered that during lockdowns in 2020. However, this was not the same for all of us. MHAW 2021 will explore what the barriers to accessing nature are, and ensure that everyone is able to share in the natural world and experience its mental health benefits.​

The Wellbeing Committee at Generation have been busy planning for weeks on how we can best equip the team with the knowledge and tools to navigate the day to day challenges in their personal and professional lives whilst of course making it engaging and entertaining and centring around our four pillars: Mind, Body, Life & Social.

A real hurdle we faced this year was trying to plan activities that got us up and moving, and away from our desks. We tried to stay away from online virtual sessions and instead came up with a Nature-Themed scavenger hunt, and encouraged colleagues to use their lunchbreaks to get away from their screens and source different elements within their neighbourhoods with our very own Scavenger Hunt Bingo card!

However, we know at GM that it’s important to start every day with a positive mindset, so we’ve also be running internal meditation sessions by different members of the team each morning to encourage us to be our best selves for the day.

Another great investment we have made this week is with Charlotte Wiseman, and her training on the foundations of Wellbeing. She walked us through how resilience and mental wellbeing are not mutually exclusive, but instead dependent on one another to grow. When improving your mental wellbeing, you will become more resilient in life as you adapt and be flexible with all that life throws at you, but its also just as important to work on your resilience in order to improve your mental wellbeing to put yourself within a growth mindset and see every challenge as an opportunity.

Other key tips and tricks that we learnt from the incredible session are:

Sleep

• Did you know that 98% of the public need at least 7 hours of sleep a night?

• Set a routine.

  • Don’t eat too late and always prioritise cooked foods over cold.

  • Set yourself a Tech curfew – how we interact with our phones, tablet and computers can stimulate and activate the brains to produce cortisol which will prevent us from nodding off.

  • Be aware of those hidden caffeines – try Decaf in the afternoons to notice the positive effects.

Nutrition

• Did you know that our brain consumes the most energy & is made up of 60% fat?

• Fuel your mind.

  • You could have unstable blood sugars if you’re refusing to eat breakfast, and don’t snack regularly throughout the day (snacks are good for you!)

  • Gut bacteria dictates how part of your brain reacts, so eat less processed foods and eat more colours and fermented food!

  • Eat your good fats! A low-fat diet leads to HANGER and Bad moods

Movement

• Did you know that just 15minuytes of exercise a day is the most effective treatment for mild to moderate depression?

• We all know that exercise can reduce stress levels but its important to know how & why?

  • More stressful and intense workouts such as HIIT can put more stress on your body if you’re already within this state of mind.

  • One big gym session in the day is actually less effective than regularly moving throughout the day.

Switching Off

• Did you know that learning is the best activity for reducing cortisol (the stress hormone)?

• Keep learning and stay connected.

  • Savouring positive emotions reduces susceptibility to illness by 40%!

    • Avoid complaining, add laughter and practice mindfulness.

    • Self-criticism and lack of support for ourselves will inhibit your learning.

  • Get outside – take breaks away from technology and move your mind to somewhere else visually. Just 3-5minutes has proven to be effective.

By committing to just one small change each we know we are contributing to creating an even happier and healthier workplace.