Mental wellbeing is a critical topic for all of us, both as HR professionals and as human beings. 🧠❤️‍🩹

And with most of us spending an average 90,000 hours of our lives at work - it really is time to prioritise mental health in the workplace. (Fittingly, the exact theme for this year's World Mental Health Day on 10 October).

This episode we're thrilled to be joined by special guest star Psychologist Emma White, from mental wellbeing platform OpenUp. Sharing her wide psychology and HR expertise, we discuss why and how we should be approaching this important (and sometimes overwhelming) topic.

Just a few insights we'll cover...

✨ Flip the perspective: How can we focus on 'building resilience' by helping people thrive, rather than just better survive a negative threat like burnout? 🤸‍♀️

✨ Psychological safety in the workplace: what does it actually mean, and how to build it?

✨ Boundaries: What does this actually mean, how to make them feel less awkward, and how to foster a culture that values them (for the collective good)!

Packed with tons of practical tips for how to implement these principles in practice, this episode is essential listening for all HR professionals, managers, founders...or really anyone looking to improve mental wellbeing at their work.

Chapters 0:00 Before we start... 1:04 About today's guest 2:25 Why is mental wellbeing such a hot topic right now? 4:09 Balancing the human vs business case for employee wellbeing 6:30 Leading (negatively) by example: Are we rewarding the wrong attitudes to mental health at work? 9:44 Connection over content: reducing the stigma around mental health discussions 14:05 Top tips for recognising and discussing team mental wellbeing concerns effectively 18:55 Consent is key: When an employee isn't ready to discuss your concerns 20:27 Preventing burnout: Stopping the water before it boils over 23:04 Preventing burnout: What can managers actually do to help? 25:43 Defining mental wellbeing: it's like a chair... 26:45 Is flexible working the solution? 28:08 Setting boundaries: What and how? 30:35 In defence of managers: we see your challenges! 32:22 'CPR' at work: Shift the focus on 'resilience' 34:57 Psychological safety: NOT just providing a comfort blanket 38:04 3 small steps you can take NOW

About this podcast

Say hello to your favourite new HR podcast! 👋🏻 Join People & Culture professionals Flo & Paul from 7people as they dissect the weird, funny and strange topics they encounter in their day-to-day HR work.

Each episode we'll focus on a variety of People-related topics and share our experiences, stories, tips and tricks, inspired by the many fascinating real-life "Have you got 5 minutes?" questions shared by our listeners.

Thank you to our friends at Personio for sponsoring this podcast.

About 7people

7people is a People and Culture consultancy based in Amsterdam. We're on a mission to create irresistible organizations, by providing practical and creative HR solutions for start-ups, scale-ups and innovative companies all across Europe (and beyond!).