Our Live Well series, in partnership with W-Wellness, explores the pressing topics at the intersection between women, wellbeing and work.

Struggling to follow your routine, complete your usual tasks or finding it hard to even get out of bed? You’re not alone – not even close. As the cost of living continues to cause financial stress and the job market is still tough going, there’s plenty of stressors impacting our mental health.

Mental health conditions impact more women than men, plus women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with anxiety and are more susceptible to depression. But support for women’s mental health isn’t strong enough, particularly in the workplace, because not only are women not speaking up about their mental health – they can’t.

The cruel reality of discussing mental health at work

A new report by Indeed found that only 45% of women globally feel comfortable talking to their manager about their mental health. In the UK, more than half of women surveyed said that the leading cause for keeping quiet was because they could be seen as a less capable employee, and it could be detrimental to their career by excluding them from promotions or future opportunities. What's more, women struggling with mental health crises who do speak up are often dismissed and told it's hormonal or asked if they're on their period.

When Talia Levine, a commercial director at a consultancy in London, came forward about her mental ill health to a previous employer, her mental health condition was stigmatised and unsupported, causing her stressful work environment to become even more difficult to manage – ultimately culminating in her unexpected dismissal.

“I felt apprehensive to reach out to HR, due to a dismissive comment from my direct manager about taking sick leave but I shared the situation and sadly, the support from HR was short lived. My health rapidly deteriorated due to the stressful environment. It all ended in a 90-second phone call informing me I wasn’t ‘the right fit’.”

And Talia's story is just one of many. Recent research from the Fawcett Society and Benenden Health found that 42% of women have heard derogatory comments about a female employee’s health in the workplace.

“There is a history of women being perceived as weak, emotional and incapable of leadership positions that, coupled with the persistent stigma of mental health, means women are less like to speak up due to fear,” said Subira Jones, a corporate burnout prevention consultant for companies like Channel 4, Deloitte and the Financial Times.

“This seems to be gender-specific, as research has found that the percentage of women comfortable discussing health issues increases to 96% when the manager is also female,” she said.

Leadership and wellbeing

In order to build a healthy workplace that prioritises wellbeing, it’s important for senior executives to understand the connection between robust leadership and wellness.

“The link between strong wellbeing and strong leadership at work is incredibly significant,” said Anna Lancaster who is rapid transformational therapy practitioner and founder of the Rewire Clinic in Chelsea, as well as a member of the W-Wellness community of experts.

“Leaders who prioritise their own wellbeing demonstrate resilience, emotional intelligence and authenticity – all essential qualities for effective leadership. When leaders prioritise wellness in the workplace, they create a culture that supports employee health and engagement which leads to higher morale, greater loyalty so a lower staff turnover, and improved performance overall,” she said.

How to tackle the taboo and boost mental health at work

To make mental health support at work mainstream, it’s everyone’s responsibility to break down the stigma associated with mental health at work. And there’s plenty of work to do.

“By making wellness a part of the workday your employees will have the mental space to recharge, refresh, feel valued and ultimately perform better,” Anna said. She and lifestyle coach Subira Jones shared their top tips for senior leaders to foster mental wellbeing in the workplace.

1. It starts with self-care: Bring activities into the workplace that support mental and emotional wellbeing, such as mindfulness meditation, exercise and regular breaks throughout the workday. Try office wellness programmes like Pilates At Your Desk, live hypnosis or meditation sessions to calm and motivate.

2. Prevention is better than cure: Organisations can implement burnout prevention, wellbeing initiatives and carers’ development training tailored to the needs of women in their organisation to begin building a pipeline of sustainable high performing talent from early careers to leadership.

3. Get real about work-life balance: Post-pandemic, flexible working has increasingly blurred the lines between work and life. You’ll often find people attached to their phones all hours and not getting the mental break they need. Lead by example to establish boundaries between work and personal life, such as setting designated work hours when possible and encouraging time off.

4. Make it official: Introduce and implement company policies to protect and bolster mental health the same as physical health, with specific support for mothers returning after maternity leave, those going through life changes such as pregnancy, fertility treatments or the menopause and employees with disabilities and health conditions.

5. Engage your allies: To solve systemic issues including mental health discrimination, it takes all of us to make real change. Create a culture of allyship by educating people managers, senior leaders and HR teams on how to sensitively and appropriately handle mental ill health in the workplace. Create safe spaces for colleagues to confide in one another and feel comfortable to be vocal about their own needs.

Keen to boost your wellness? Join us at Live Well Festival this June, where Anna Lancaster will be putting the health and wellbeing of business leaders in the spotlight, on the Penthouse stage, powered by W-Wellness.