World Mental Health Day provides an opportunity for individuals and businesses to open up conversations around mental health problems each year. This year’s theme is “mental health for all”, which is more appropriate than ever after the events of 2020.
What is mental health?
Mental health is no different from physical health. We all have it and sometimes we experience periods where our mental health suffers.
Whether you have depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or a personality disorder, your mental wellness matters. It’s important to also recognise that you don’t have to have a diagnosed disorder to experience poor mental health.
The impact of the pandemic on mental health
Isolation has had a huge impact on many this year. Whether you love going out or just spending time with a few close friends, being unable to meet up and chat with other people can be harmful to your mental wellbeing.
At BTCSoftware we transitioned to home working a week before the nation went into lockdown and immediately established ways for our employees to keep in touch. Our Friday meeting has meant that everyone gets together once a week for a catch-up and some fun and games.
See Mental Health UK’s pages on Coronavirus support for some great ideas on managing your mental health during the Coronavirus outbreak.
For accountants, this year has been busier and more emotionally taxing than any before. Many of their clients have relied on their services, not only for practical business advice but in dealing with the emotional impact of slow trading or reduced income.
With the Self-Assessment season on the horizon, we’ve updated our Ultimate Guide to Self-Assessment to include ways to manage the potential stress of the busy season.
What are we doing?
We’re delighted to announce today that BTCSoftware has chosen Mental Health UK as our national charity to support over the next year.
CEO Rob Ellis said,
“It is fantastic that our team has chosen Mental Health UK to fundraise for. This charity does brilliant work supporting those who need help with their mental health and wellness, both in their personal lives and in the workplace. On World Mental Health Day I am happy to commit to raising funds to support their work over the next 12 months, as well as looking at ways to open up communication internally to ensure our employees are assisted in staying well and mentally healthy.”
Watch this space for more news on our plans!
Get help
Learning about mental health and talking to someone can have a huge positive impact on your mental wellbeing.
You can find more information to learn about mental health over at Mental Health UK.
For those who need immediate support, you can call Samaritans on 116 123 or text the Shout Crisis team by sending SHOUT to 85258.
For more general support and information, call the Mind Infoline on 0300 123 3393.
