It’s Mental Health Awareness Week, and while the office might not hand out free therapy sessions or offer hugs on tap, that doesn’t mean your mental health should take a back seat. This year’s theme, set by the Mental Health Foundation, is all about community — and if there’s ever been a time to lean into that, it’s now.
Work can be draining. Even jobs you love have their “please don’t speak to me” days. But the people you work with? They can make a huge difference.
Why “Community” Actually Matters at Work
This year’s theme is a reminder of how much we all need connection. It’s about feeling part of something. Knowing someone’s got your back. Having people around you who notice when you’re not quite yourself.
Workplace community means:
Having someone to message when your day’s spiralling
Knowing who you can speak to when you’re overwhelmed
Feeling like your voice actually matters
It’s those little moments — a cuppa with a colleague, a quick chat about something other than work, or someone checking in when you’re quieter than usual — that can turn a rough week around.
Work is a lot easier to face when you’ve got someone beside you who gets it. A good work mate doesn’t need to fix your problems, they just need to be there. Someone to have a moan with, laugh with, or share a snack drawer with. Feeling connected to even one person at work can make the rough days feel a bit less heavy.
Looking After Your Mental Health
Mental health care at work starts with basic things like:
Talking to someone you trust – Whether it’s your manager, a teammate or HR, bottling things up rarely helps.
Build your own little work community – It doesn’t have to be your whole department. Just one or two people who get it.
Protect your boundaries – Set limits where you can. A late-night email doesn’t always need a reply.
Take your breaks – Don't feel guilty about that 20-minute lunch scroll on TikTok, it's okay! Whatever you need to do to feel like you've switched off from work, do it!
Use any support offered – If your workplace has an Employee Assistance Programme, use it. You’d be surprised how helpful they can be.
Don’t Suffer in Silence
Feeling overwhelmed or disconnected? You’re not the only one. Loads of people are putting on a brave face while quietly struggling behind the scenes. But asking for help doesn’t make you weak — it shows strength. The kind of strength that says, “I deserve to be well.”
This week is the perfect excuse to start the conversation. Chat to a colleague, reach out to someone who seems a bit off, or speak up about something that’s been weighing on you. You never know who else might need it too.
So What Can You Do?
Community doesn’t have to come from HR or your manager. You can help build it too:
Start a morning coffee chat
Check in with the quieter team member
Celebrate someone’s win, even if it’s small
Be honest about your own mental health — it gives others permission to be real too.
Mental health at work is about feeling like you’re not alone in the madness.
This Mental Health Awareness Week, take a moment to think about what kind of community you’re a part of and what kind you’d like to help build. When you’re supported, connected, and valued, work gets a lot less exhausting — and life outside of it starts to feel a whole lot better too.
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