Shining a Spotlight on Mental Health at Capita

Today is the start of Mental Health Awareness Week with the theme this year on anxiety.

It's something so important for us all to talk about as we all experience anxiety in some way as human beings - it's built into us and enables us to survive. As with most things, it's when what's considered a normal level of anxiety changes and when feeling anxious starts to interfere with our normal daily lives that we may need to seek some help and support.

I've heard the term 'permacrisis' over the last few months in social media and during some wellbeing events I've attended. I'm not going to join the debate about the term and whether it's right, wrong, true or false. I think this generation and those in the past could all argue what we are facing now or what was faced in the past is harder, worse or unrelenting but the simple fact is we need to accept there is and there always will be something to generate anxiety in all of us as human beings.

This is why it's important we all take steps to recognise what causes us anxiety and what we do to alleviate it. For some people this comes naturally, without maybe even realising they have built coping mechanisms to deal with or even prevent them from feeling anxious. They may also be lucky enough to have a lifestyle, support and things around them that can help them successfully deal with any anxieties in their lives.

However, for many that's not the case and why it's so important we talk about it so we raise awareness and ensure people know anxiety is common and affects us all.

This mental health awareness week, our ask at Capita is that we all take a moment to think about our anxiety levels and assess if we think it's affecting or interfering with our normal day to day lives.

If you are concerned by what you find, it's important to talk to someone and seek support. We all react differently to stressful situations so just because someone else facing something similar isn't feeling anxious or may not appear to be, it doesn't mean you shouldn't.

If someone talks to you about their anxiety, it can be really hard to know what to say. Firstly, you are not a health professional and therefore not expected to always say the right things. What's important is to listen, don't judge and just be human. Instead of offering advice straight away, ask what can you do to help. Being there for someone and letting them know they're not alone is important. You might also want to ask if they want to do something to help take their mind off things.

At Capita we have created lots of resources to help raise awareness, so people can recognise signs and symptoms and when things might start to be interfering with daily lives. We are reminding our colleagues of all the internal and external support options available to everyone in all our locations. We've got events and activities throughout this week with one simple aim - to remind our colleagues if you are feeling anxious you are not alone and there are lots of ways you can get help and support.

By Mark Campion

Group Head of Wellbeing and Occupational Health at Capita

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