Let’s lift more people out of loneliness

Let’s lift more people out of loneliness

We’re living in a different world for mental health, both in workplaces and more widely in society. As the Mental Health Foundation’s report ’Mental Health in the Pandemic’ made clear, relationships with friends and family were disrupted and broken, particularly among those on lower incomes or with physical disabilities.

At a time when more bodies, including the NHS, are calling for national action and planning to deal with a mental health crisis, Mental Health Awareness Week (9-15 May 2022) is more important than ever.

Every Mind Matters – Loneliness

This year the Department for Health & Social Care, alongside the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, are encouraging everyone to think about ways they can ‘lift someone out of loneliness’, as part of the Better Health — Every Mind Matters campaign.

The campaign web pages provide advice on the issues and how to help yourself and others

There’s also a toolkit and campaign materials which can be used by employers

Small acts

“Those small acts of kindness, making time to get in touch with people who might be feeling isolated can make such a difference,” says EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell. “We all need that kind of reassurance, no matter how well connected we might feel ourselves to be. Busy modern lives and our absorption into social media mean we can often forget the importance of face-to-face contact.

“At the same time, actually opening up about feeling lonely is a difficult thing to do. As ‘successful’ and independent modern people, it’s not something we’re not supposed to feel. That’s why it’s so important for HR to make the EAP visible, and keep on sharing the message that speaking to someone in confidence through an EAP is a normal thing to do, before negative emotions and experiences become too much. Together we can always find a better way forward.”