This week is Mental Health Awareness Week, and the focus this year is “Loneliness”. This is perhaps not a surprising topic to have chosen given the enormous social and community impact of the recent pandemic.
The trend for homeworking, born in part out of necessity, can exacerbate feelings of isolation and we, at The Legal Director, are very conscious that the way we work can pose challenges. Our lawyers often work remotely from their clients and, based across the UK, we don’t have a physical office to meet colleagues and interact in the traditional way.
We know that this is increasingly common for people in many professions and would like to share some of the ways that we try to combat loneliness and foster connections.
- We host regional lunches and quarterly meetings to give our lawyers opportunities to meet in person.
- We have a Mentor Programme to support our team professionally and personally.
- We have a Mental Health champion who shares tips and resources for looking after mental well-being.
- We run regular training programmes for both professional development and personal support.
- We have a weekly internal newsletter sharing news and recommendations for out-of-work diversions.
- And tomorrow, in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Week, we are reviving our post-work virtual drinks.
We don’t claim to have all the answers and we are always keen to learn more. So please do let us know what you do in your business to combat the negative impact of loneliness. We’d love to hear.
And you can learn more about this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week here: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/mental-health-awareness-week.
