The role of local businesses in promoting mental health and wellbeing

Across the UK and over recent years, there has a change in how the general public views mental health and wellbeing. Once seen as an individual responsibility, mental health is now recognised as a shared, community wide issue. Our mental health is both our individual and collective responsibility and requires effort from family members, workplaces and organisations. For many, the workplace is where they spend most of their time. For others, local cafés, gyms, hairdressers, or local shops are their daily social spaces. These are the places that people connect, relax, and interact with other people. It’s in these spaces that local businesses have a unique power to influence how people think and feel as well as their mental health.

Whether through small acts of kindness, structured initiatives, or addiction awareness campaigns, the knock on effect those around you can have on your mental health can be extraordinary. This October, as mental health awareness continues to gain national attention, it’s worth keeping in mind the impact our local businesses can have on our mental health, and the ability they have to build healthier, more resilient communities.

How do Local Businesses Impact Mental Health?

In recent years, within the workplace we have seen a rise in community minded initiatives that value the wellbeing of both employees and customers just as highly as their profit margins. Mental health and business success are not competing interests, in fact, studies have now shown that they are deeply interconnected. In order to have a thriving workplace, you must first have a thriving workforce, and that includes thriving mental health.

A mentally healthy workforce is motivated, productive, committed and loyal. Employees who feel supported are less likely to experience burnout, stress or overwhelm and are in fact much more likely to stick around for longer. On the other hand, for customers, engaging with a business that openly supports wellbeing fosters trust, loyalty, and a sense of belonging.

When local businesses create safe, supportive spaces, the workplace thrives. This includes creating an atmosphere where conversations about stress, anxiety, or recovery are normal and healthy. In turn, this contributes to a healthier community as a whole which will then also welcome more business.

Mental Health and Addiction

There is a clear link between mental health and addiction. Mental health and addiction have a bidirectional relationship, meaning that they both impact and can trigger the other. Those with mental health issues often go on to gain addiction issues in the future, as they seek escape. Likewise, the addiction can cause chemical damage to the brain which then in turn creates mental health issues.

Whilst society on the whole is improving when it comes to the awareness around mental health, one of the most overlooked aspects of community wellbeing is addiction. Whether linked to alcohol, drugs or even gambling, addiction has an impact on families and workplaces. The knock on effect is that addiction has impacted communities up and down the country for years and years and society is still facing those issues till this day,

Across the UK, more and more people are seeking help for addiction issues. The rise in alcohol dependency following the Covid-19 pandemic, alongside increased recreational drug use, has placed a huge amount of stress and strain on the NHS, including alcohol rehab services in Birmingham. Detox clinics report longer waiting lists, and many individuals put off getting the help that they need and deserve due to the stigma surrounding addiction or lack of awareness surrounding addiction.

This is where local businesses can make a huge difference. By acknowledging that addiction is a mental health condition and not a moral failing, and by providing resources, education or support for those in their community suffering from addiction issues, businesses can become active and play a huge role in their community where addiction and recovery is concerned.

How to Create a Positive and Safe Work Environment

Every business, no matter how big or small can take steps to better support mental health and addiction awareness. Many employers put off tackling mental health in case they get it wrong. However, simply ignoring the issue won’t make it go away. Likewise, many employers believe that you need a wellness budget to tackle the issue, when this simply is not the case.

Tackling mental health in the workplace and within your community is not expensive, and starts with being open, honest and having empathy with those around you. Below are some things for you to consider.

1. Start with Education

As with anything, you should always start with education. People are not able to empathise with those suffering with mental health issues if they do not understand the issue at hand. If you are a business owner, then why not provide mental health and addiction awareness training for your team. This can include workshops on recognising early signs of stress, burnout or substance misuse. Local rehab centres and community detox programmes often offer free or low cost educational sessions.

When people understand the signs and triggers of addiction, they are more likely to feel compassion rather than judgement, making it far easier for someone to reach out for help.

2. Promote Open Communication

If you are a business owner, then you should try your best to encourage honest, open and stigma free conversations surrounding addiction and mental health. This will start with you. You could try to offer anonymous feedback boxes, hold weekly staff meetings, designated wellbeing officers or even one to ones on a regular basis to check to see how everyone is doing.

It is important to understand that you do not have to be trained in how to diagnose or treat addiction or mental health issues. This should never be expected of you. Instead, you should try to listen and recognise the signs and symptoms of what might be an issue, so that you can suggest or recommend help for the individual.

3. Always Support Work–Life Balance

The world has become busier and more chaotic than ever, and work life balance is at an all-time low. This leads to excessive workloads, burnout and often unrealistic expectations and deadlines. This can be one of the key factors that contributes to a mental health issue or even an addiction issue.

This is why more employers should start to offer flexible working hours, mental health days, or even just a culture that respects boundaries and long days. You should never work for more than 12 hours at a time and should always try to prioritise taking breaks when you can.

Employers should promote a healthy work life balance, allow individuals to work remotely if those better suits them and their schedule, always within reason of course. By prioritising work life balance, you reduce the risk of burnout and the kind of stress that often leads to dependency or unhealthy coping habits, such as addiction.

4. Partner with Local Health Services

Many businesses overlook the benefits of collaborating with local organisations, including rehab clinics and community health centres. There is a lot of stigma associated with these types of organisations, so it is important to remain open minded and non-judgemental. These partnerships and collaborations allow businesses to provide employees and customers with credible information and direct access to professional help, which can be invaluable to anyone suffering with an addiction to drugs or alcohol.

You could ask a centre to come in and give a talk at your workplace, such as a guest speaker, or alternatively you could host a workshop or short course on how these clinics help and what signs to look out for to spot someone suffering from a mental health or addiction issue.

Local Businesses that Help with Wellbeing

Local businesses are often the backbone of community life. A small café can become a safe space for someone who is recovering from an addiction, and likewise a gym can promote stress relief and allow you to meet like-minded people.

Below are just some of the local businesses in your community that act as a wellbeing hub within you even realising it, and a list of ways that they can help if you are struggling.

1. Cafes and Restaurants

Cafes and restaurants allow many people the chance to socialise and connect with others and do sometimes offer free ‘sober social’ events for those suffering from addiction or mental health issues. Likewise, many cafes and restaurants display posters or leaflets for rehab centres and mental health charities.

2. Gyms

Going to the gym is often used as a stress management tool for those suffering from addiction and mental health issues. There are also a range of classes you might be able to join which will help you to connect with others and grow in confidence.

3. Hairdressers and Beauticians

Having your hair or nails done can work wonders for your self-esteem, helps to get you out of the house and always allows you the chance to socialise with your hairdresser or technician. There are also a range of holistic therapy tools available such as massage or acupuncture which can really help to rid the body of any stress it may be going through.

To Conclude

Building a healthier community is down to each and every one of us. Local businesses are perfectly placed to help with this, as they come into contact with the public each and every day. By recognising the connections between wellbeing, addiction, detox, and community support, we can all play a role in shaping a more compassionate, resilient future and community.

Image by Rachel Scott from Pixabay