My Whole Self Day
Tuesday 12 March marks this year’s ‘My Whole Self Day’, a campaign created by Mental Health First Aid England (MHFA) that calls on organisations to empower their employees to “bring their whole selves to work”. What this means for colleagues, is to empower them to not have to hide part of their identity at work - whether this is their cultural or ethnic background, gender identity, sexuality, disability, health, or mental health.
Staff being able to be themselves in a working environment is supremely beneficial for their mental health which can lead to business success, as creating a mentally healthy workplace is proven to boost both productivity and staff wellbeing.
My Whole Self aims to create a culture where people have the safety and freedom to choose which parts of their identity they share at work, without fear of judgement. The campaign calls on all employers to create inclusive workplaces, where people feel valued and safe. Doing so enables staff to focus on the job in hand, supports mental health and wellbeing, and boosts productivity through innovation.
How you can get involved
Want to get involved in this campaign? Great! There are several ways that organisations and individuals can get involved, including:
Social media
MHFA are encouraging individuals to share a social media post with the hashtag #MyWholeSelf - and they call on senior leaders of organisations in particular as a way of leading by example and encouraging their colleagues to take part.
We’re delighted to share some of the iHasco selfies in support of the day.
“Here at iHasco, we are a team who support each other in all ways and we want every team member to feel comfortable bringing their whole self to work. We recognise that being able and free to do this will help make our workplace mentally healthy and allow every employee to shine. We genuinely believe that our people are what makes iHasco great.”
Support and resources
MHFA England has a series of free webinars surrounding workplace mental health and wellbeing, including several My Whole Self themed webinars. You can register for upcoming webinars as well as watch previous ones here. MHFA England also offers a number of resources for businesses to get involved in My Whole Self day. But it doesn’t just have to be a one day only focus. Their My Whole Self MOT can be used at any time for employees to review their own wellbeing.
Thinking about the bigger picture
My Whole Self is about encouraging organisations to show their support of their people bringing their ‘whole self’ to work to allow diversity and inclusion to be at the centre of workplace mental health and wellbeing.
More and more organisations are beginning to recognise the importance of creating an inclusive workplace but it can be difficult to know where to start. It can be helpful to look at the process as a journey that can be built on and continually strengthened.
With that said, here are some other areas organisations should consider looking at to support and promote mental wellbeing and diversity throughout the year…
Policies – You could introduce a Workplace Wellbeing policy that outlines your business’ aims surrounding health and wellbeing.
Mental Health First Aiders – You could introduce Mental Health First Aiders to your business as a point of contact for employees who are struggling with their wellbeing.
Regular communication – You could start sending out regular surveys to staff to gain a better understanding of how they feel your business is handling their wellbeing needs.
Online Training & resources
Providing your employees with regular awareness training and resources can also help build a culture where inclusivity and mental wellbeing are at the heart of your organisation.
We have a number of free resources which may help introduce you to the topic of equality, diversity and inclusion, as well as mental health & wellbeing guides that are worth checking out.
Our Workplace Equality Training courses bundle includes:
- Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Training
- Disability Awareness training
- Gender Identity & Expression (GIE) Training
These courses can help introduce your employees to the topic of inclusivity and really help drive your company forward in becoming a more diverse and inclusive workplace. Bringing these topics to the forefront will help your employees feel more comfortable bringing their whole self to work.
Our Mental Health and Wellbeing Training courses bundle includes:
- Mental Health Awareness Training
- Stress Awareness Training
- Managing Anxiety Training
- Resilience Training
- Mindfulness Training
These courses provide your staff with the opportunity to pick up some tips to positively influence their wellbeing, as well as learn about some practical tools to support their mental health. You can set up a free trial of our entire course library to see how workplace training could benefit your employees.
Ultimately, it’s essential that all employers and employees are provided with the correct tools and knowledge to understand the huge benefits of a diverse and healthy workforce. We encourage everyone to take a moment today to think about their whole self, whether that’s simply acknowledging what makes you unique or what steps you can take to look after yourself and protect your mental wellbeing.
Head of Marketing