Supporting Mental Health Awareness Week

Did you know that 15th to 21st May 2023 is Mental Health Awareness Week? As a Mindful Employer, Atlas Translations is strongly committed to supporting employees’ well-being and raising awareness about issues surrounding mental health more generally.

Spotlight on anxiety  

The theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week is anxiety. It’s something that we all experience but don’t always know how to handle. Of course, it is natural and normal to sometimes feel anxious. However, it becomes problematic if anxiety gets out of hand. Frequently feeling anxious – and over a long period of time – can have a truly negative impact on someone’s life.

The rapidly changing world, cost-of-living crisis, recent COVID-19 pandemic, uncertainty, and information overload increase the levels of anxiety felt by people around the world. Sadly, due to associated stigmas, many feel ashamed to admit that they struggle with anxiety or they receive very limited support. Although individuals can try various strategies to deal with anxiety, it is important to develop nationwide strategies and actions to promote mental well-being. We encourage you to read about the possible ways proposed by the Mental Health Foundation here.

How to deal with anxiety

The following are among the most common strategies recommended to cope with anxiety:

• breathing exercises
• healthy diet
• ensuring quality sleep and rest
• being active
• spending time in nature
• connecting with others

In situations when you are overwhelmed by anxious feelings and have no one to turn to, it is advised to get in touch with helpline services, such as Anxiety UK.

Well-being at work

Since we tend to spend a big chunk of our time at work, and our careers have an important role in our lives, many of us can feel anxiety at work. Our Project Managers are more than familiar with occasional feelings of anxiety when dealing with urgent or complicated translation projects. However, the Atlas team always strives to maintain and nourish a supportive workplace. Encouraging breaks, having weekly “Power Hour” meetings, offering support to each other and respecting work-life balance are just some of the ways we try to achieve that.

Atlas Translations became a Mindful Employer in March 2021 and has been committed to its principles ever since. Our designated mindful advocate (the lovely Anna) continually reminds us to take care of our well-being and sends us helpful leaflets and numbers to call if we are in need of impartial support.

Creating a supportive and healthy working environment is also one of the Atlas director’s top priorities. Since 2019, all members of the Atlas team have been working 4 days a week, which supports their overall well-being. Working a reduced number of hours and having an additional day off means more time for hobbies, family and friends, walks or other activities that support proper rest. All of these things can positively contribute to an individual’s mental health and avoid burnout, leading to better work results and satisfaction.

Having experienced the benefits of a 4-day week first-hand, we encourage other companies to consider this move to support their employees’ well-being.

To all reading this blog, do remember to take care of your mental health and don’t forget to give a helping hand (or ear) to the people around you.