Some of the small businesses prioritising wellbeing and mental health
As this week is Mental Health Awareness Week, and with the current climate and today's way of living massively changing over the past few weeks, prioritising mental health is more important than ever.
Research from Xero shows that 1 in 4 (28%) small business owners are often too busy to think about supporting mental health and almost half (48%) believe that they could do more to support mental health in the workplace.
Here are some examples of some small businesses that have been prioritising wellbeing and mental health:
Erpingham House
“Our mission binds us as a team and we have a strong community at the heart of our business. Local schools in Norwich closed before we did, so in the spirit of community, we offered free school meals to kids that needed them most, right until we had to shut shop.
“The team at Erpingham House are also invited to weekly mediation sessions which would normally run in-house but we’re running them online for now. We get a great turnout, even during these turbulent times. We’re a creative bunch usually working in a creative space, so a number of us are running a skills exchange programme to teach things like art or yoga to the rest of the team. We’ve found this really helps keep our spirits up – especially for staff members that have been furloughed.”
Toast Ale
“We’re making sure we stay connected as a team using video conferencing. We’re well set up for working from home, using cloud-based software like Xero and Slack for day-to-day operational needs, but we miss being together. Seeing other faces and making time to check in with each other is really important. Personally I’m also balancing home-schooling my children, which adds extra pressure. I’m trying to be realistic about what I can achieve in a day, and make sure I get enough sleep!”
Creative Grid
“Wellbeing for the team is important because we spend a lot of time staring at our screens. I actually think there’s a greater understanding of each team member’s personal circumstances, like those who have children, as well as making sure we all get some rest or have a day off. It’s been really good that way.
“I’m also live-streaming fitness workouts for the local community. Mostly yoga and Crossfit and it’s nice to give something back as well as try to help local businesses stay afloat. They’ve been really well received, although I’m finding it hard to mix a live-stream and actually do the work out. That’s my excuse anyway.”
