Wellbeing at RNN Group: Making Time for Ourselves and Each Other
There is something particularly timely about talking about wellbeing this week.
Across RNN Group, we are marking Wellbeing Week from 5th to 9th October, leading into World Mental Health Day on Saturday 10th October. It is a good opportunity to step away from the day-to-day for a moment and think about something that can easily get pushed down the list when work is busy: How we are actually doing.
For an organisation as large and varied as RNN Group, wellbeing is never going to look the same for everyone. We have colleagues working across different campuses and in very different roles, with different pressures, routines and responsibilities. What works for one person might not work for another, which is why it is good to see such a range of opportunities available this week.
The theme for Wellbeing Week is the Five Ways to Wellbeing: Connect, Be Active, Keep Learning, Give and Take Notice. They are fairly simple ideas, but they make a lot of sense when you think about what keeps us feeling well, particularly during a busy working week.
Something for everyone
One of the best things about the programme is that wellbeing isn’t being treated as a single activity or something that only means exercise.
There are opportunities to get involved with sports days and Sports4Champs for those who like to be active, while laughter therapy and other activities provide a chance to relax and have some fun. There are also opportunities to connect with colleagues, learn something new, give back and simply take some time to stop and notice what is going on around us.
There are contributions from a range of partners and organisations too, including Weston Park, ABL Health, Nottinghamshire Health Promotion, Talkzone, Wisdom and WMIM.
It means that staff can hopefully find something that suits them, rather than feeling that there is a particular way they are supposed to take part in wellbeing.
And sometimes, it might be as simple as joining a colleague for a walk, having a proper conversation over a coffee or taking a few minutes away from the screen.
Wellbeing doesn’t have to be complicated
It is easy to make wellbeing sound like another thing we have to fit into an already busy schedule.
In reality, some of the things that help most are often the simplest.
The Five Ways to Wellbeing are a useful reminder of that. Connecting with people can make a difficult day feel a little easier. Being active doesn’t necessarily mean going to the gym; it might just mean getting outside for ten minutes. Keeping learning can be something work-related or simply finding out about something that interests you.
Giving can be as straightforward as helping a colleague or getting involved in something happening in our local community, while taking notice might mean putting the phone down, stepping away from work for a few minutes and actually paying attention to how we are feeling.
None of these things are a magic solution to poor mental health, of course, and sometimes people need much more significant support. But they are useful habits that can help us look after ourselves and, importantly, notice when someone else might not be doing so well.
There is support beyond this week
One of the things worth remembering as World Mental Health Day approaches is that the support available to RNN staff doesn’t disappear when Wellbeing Week is over and the chance to stop and enjoy coffee and cake throughout the week ends.
RNN Group’s staff benefits include Mental Health First Aiders across the Group, an occupational health service, access to Westfield Health, an Employee Assistance Programme and wider health and wellbeing support through the SmartHive benefits platform. There is also financial wellbeing support, access to gyms and fitness facilities and menopause support.
That is important because wellbeing shouldn’t be something we only talk about once a year.
The Group’s own vision also recognises the importance of supporting health and wellbeing as part of its wider People and Culture priorities.
For staff, that means there are different routes to support depending on what is needed. Sometimes you might simply need to take a break and reconnect with people. Sometimes you might want to make use of one of the activities available. And sometimes you might need to talk to someone because things have become more difficult.
Knowing where to turn is just as important as knowing that support exists.
World Mental Health Day
World Mental Health Day takes place on 10th October and this year’s theme is “Lived Experiences Heard: Real Voices, Real Change.” The theme is about listening to people who have experienced mental health difficulties and recognising the value of their experiences in shaping better support and understanding.
That feels particularly relevant in a workplace.
We all arrive at work with lives outside of work, and none of us knows exactly what the person sitting next to us, teaching alongside us or working with us is dealing with. Someone who seems perfectly fine may be having a difficult time, while someone else may simply need a bit of encouragement or somebody to listen.
That is why conversations matter.
It doesn’t mean that we all have to become experts in mental health, nor does it mean that we have to have the answers when somebody tells us they are struggling. Sometimes listening is enough. Sometimes the most helpful thing we can do is point someone towards the right support.
Take the opportunity this week
So, as Wellbeing Week draws to a close and we head towards World Mental Health Day, perhaps the challenge for all of us is not to try to do everything.
Join an activity. Go for a walk. Have lunch with someone you don’t normally spend time with. Try something new. Take a proper break. Check in with a colleague. Make use of one of the wellbeing resources available to you.
And if you are already doing those things, perhaps think about someone else who might benefit from being included.
RNN Group is a large organisation, with more than 800 staff supporting around 11,000 learners each year. That’s a lot of people, and creating a healthy workplace culture is something that comes from all of us rather than from one team or one week in the calendar.
Wellbeing Week gives us a reason to start the conversation, but there is no reason for it to stop on Friday.
And perhaps that is the most useful thing about having a week like this. It reminds us to look after ourselves, to look out for each other, and to remember that taking care of our mental health is not an extra on top of the job.
It is part of being able to do the job well, and of creating a place where people can feel supported, connected and able to thrive.