Simone Biles pulls out of her Olympic events.
Lady Gaga opens up about depression and anxiety.
Naomi Osaka withdraws from the French Open.
Mental health, once a taboo subject, is hitting the headlines more and more. It’s a condition that one in four of us will suffer from at some point in our life, but until only very recently, most people have suffered in silence.
With celebrities, sports stars and even royalty like Prince William and Prince Harry talking about their mental health struggles, they are helping other people to be vocal about their own problems. They are removing the stigma and normalising mental health issues, with society becoming more empathetic and supportive as a result.
The business world can be as stressful as the sporting world. And arguably, hospitality is one of the most demanding industries due to the long hours, exacting managers and customers, and tight deadlines – all triggers for anxiety. Furthermore, we’re only just beginning to understand the long-term impact of Covid on our mental health.
Yet despite the recent shifts in attitude, mental health can still be a highly sensitive topic, one which has to be handled with care. So it’s encouraging that business owners now have much more support with how best to care for their staff and help them address their problems. Indeed, this is the very purpose of “Hospitality Health” which aids both hospitality and tourism businesses and their employees.
Five steps to mental wellbeing
Life can get difficult and complicated and stressful. So we need to make sure that we do everything we can to look after our mental wellbeing.
According to research we have carried out at Hospitality Health, these are the top 5 things that can help:
- Connect
Connect with the people around you: your family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. Develop these relationships and make them matter.
- Be active
You don’t have to go to the gym. Take a walk, go cycling or play a game of football. Find an activity that you enjoy and incorporate it into your life. - Keep learning
Learning new skills can give you a sense of achievement and a new confidence. So why not sign up for a cooking course, learn to play a musical instrument, or learn how to fix your bike? - Give to others
It can be a small thing; smile, a thank you or a kind word. Or a larger act, such as volunteering at your local community centre, can improve your mental wellbeing and help you build new social networks. - Be mindful
Be more aware of the present moment, including your thoughts and feelings, your body and the world around you. Some people call this “mindfulness”. It can positively change the way you feel about life and how you deal with challenges.
These ideas may work for some people but are maybe not for everyone. So the key is finding out what works for YOU. And if you’re employer, what works for your staff and how you can best support them.
Andrew D Scott
Victis Consultancy
Heaven Scent Coffee Shop
Trustee of Hospitality Health
Victus Consultancy currently has availability for new clients. If you’re looking for help with your roadmap to recovery, staff training, menu reimagination, Covid legislation or anything else required to help your business flourish and thrive, we can help. Please call us on 07732 454639 for an informal chat and we can take it from there.