Staff news

University Mental Health Day 2021

Thursday 4 March is University Mental Health Day 2021, and we want to share some of the ways staff can check in on their own mental health, and have meaningful discussions with others.  

University Mental Health Day is a national awareness day that aims to get University communities across the UK talking about mental health and the importance of making it a priority all year round.

The health and wellbeing of our staff is always a priority, and the impact of Covid-19 this year has made this even more important. For many, working from home and the ongoing government restrictions have had a massive impact on many people’s mental health.

Accessing support

Staff can find out how to access the various kinds of support, depending on their situation, via the Staff Wellbeing Hub.

The hub brings together information on the internal services available, such as the Chaplaincy or Occupational Health Service, self-help resources and specialist external services that can help when you are struggling.

Self-help resources

Evidence suggests there are five steps we can all take to improve our mental wellbeing by encouraging you to stay active, take notice, keep learning, connect and give. If you are looking to improve your mental wellbeing have a look at activities available to you now at the University.

The Five Ways to Wellbeing

Stay Active Take Notice Give Connect Keep Learning

Take part in online classes including:

Capacitar (Tai chi)

Yoga

Pilates for Back Health

Pilates for Runners

Access home workouts

Read and reflect on the weekly The MindLetter

Embrace Mindfulness

Enjoy Blogs, podcasts and daily reflections from the Chaplaincy

Sign up to Events from the Chaplaincy

Take part in Wellbeing courses, drop-ins and events

Use your Day to Make a Difference to volunteer for a charity you care about

Give some of your time to Support Others

Join staff networks such as the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Networks

Read or contribute to Bulletin Staff Magazine

Take part in Wellbeing Conversations

Complete the Mental Health Awareness course

Enrol in the Abundant Academy

Make the most of Personal Effectiveness, leadership and management resources

Improve your Digital Skills

Complete the Be Sustainable training

Download the PDF infographic

Supporting others

Talking about mental health is one of the aims of University Mental Health Day, and we want staff to feel confident and supported if they are approached by a colleague for help or advice. It can be hard to know what to do when supporting someone, but just having a conversation can make a big difference.

The Wellbeing Hub has various resources on supporting others, including additional guidance for managers on supporting staff who develop or have pre-existing mental health difficulties, or those affected by work related stress.

We have also created a new Staff Mental Health and Wellbeing Toolkit which is now available to support HR and Communications colleagues, line managers, or any staff looking for guidance in this area. The toolkit outlines the key messages and University services, guidance on having wellbeing conversations, and useful resources for helping spread the word about available mental health support.

Download the toolkit

If you have any ideas on other ways we can encourage staff to talk about mental health, we would love to hear them. Get in touch via staffnews@ed.ac.uk.

Related links

University Mental Health Day

The Staff Wellbeing Hub

Occupational Health Service