This year, Mental Health Awareness Week will take place from 13-19 May 2024.

We are all very aware of the fast-paced, modern and what can feel like a divided world in which we live and work today. That world inevitably brings challenges. Of course, we benefit hugely from the technological innovation that has occurred over recent years and which continues to develop around us daily. However, at times it can feel that we are trying to keep up, at a relentless pace, with the expectations that come with these developments, both in our personal and professional lives. Protecting good mental health and wellbeing is more important than ever and it is encouraging that this is increasingly becoming a priority for employers.

The theme for Mental Health Awareness Week, set by the Mental Health Foundation, is movement. The thinking behind the theme is that we should "move for our mental health". This article briefly explores the benefits of physical activity for mental wellbeing and provides some practical ideas on how employers can encourage a more active work environment.

Movement and mental health

The link between physical activity and mental health is well known. Regular movement is great for your mind, body and soul. It can alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety, reduce stress levels, improve our mood and help to prevent physical illness. Exercise enhances the release of endorphins – the "feel-good" hormones, which act as natural painkillers and mood elevators. Sleep is also key to good mental health and physical activity is one way of improving the quality of your sleep.

Promoting movement amongst employees

When we talk about movement or exercise, people tend immediately to envisage some form of high-intensity cardio workout which, of course, can be fantastic but movement also includes much less intense forms of exercise. As the organisation Mental Health UK points out, movement really means "any way you move your body that uses energy" which can include not only the typical activities of walking, swimming, running and playing sport, but also things like dancing (whether in your living room or otherwise) and even cleaning (we are undecided whether promoting cleaning would encourage or deter us from increasing our level of movement!).

Throughout Mental Health Awareness Week everyone, including employers, is urged to think about how we can move more to help our mental health. Some examples of steps employers could take to encourage employees to do this include:

• Walking meetings: Employees in traditional office-based roles typically spend the majority of their working day sitting at their desk in front of a computer screen and, more often than not, "moving" between meetings is now restricted to virtual movement. Changing traditional seated meetings into walking meetings can be a simple yet effective way to help incorporate more movement into the day. Walking meetings are not only good for physical and mental health, but it is also thought they can help boost work creativity and collaboration.
• On-site fitness classes: Offering exercise classes such as yoga, Pilates or aerobics classes during lunch breaks or after work can make exercise both convenient and social for employees. These classes should be aimed at various fitness levels and preferences to help ensure inclusivity.
• Encouraging use of stairs: One of the simplest ways to move more is by taking the stairs instead of the lift. During Mental Health Awareness Week, employers could take steps to make the stairs more inviting by posting signs that encourage taking the stairs e.g. making sure employees know how to access the stairs and clearly marking each floor level.
• Flexible breaks: Allowing and encouraging flexible break times for employees to take short, frequent walks can help break up long periods of sitting. As with walking meetings, these breaks can also provide a mental refresher for the brain and help improve employees' concentration when they return to their desk.
• Challenges: Consider introducing fitness challenges amongst teams to help make movement fun. For instance, a step-count challenge with a leaderboard can motivate employees to move more, particularly those with a more competitive nature!

Final thoughts

Employers have a legal duty of care towards employees, so taking steps to protect employees' mental health can be a legal requirement. Fostering a working environment that places importance on employee mental health and wellbeing is also beneficial for employers as it should lead to, amongst other things, increased productivity, decreased absenteeism and employee turnover, and reinforce the organisation's reputation as an employer of choice which aims to provide a safe and supportive working environment.

Hopefully, the above has shown how powerful a tool movement can be for enhancing mental health and wellbeing, including in the workplace. During this year's Mental Health Awareness Week, we encourage everyone to simply "move more" – whether that means starting to take one flight of stairs instead of the lift, or doing two spin classes that week instead of one.