Pandemic recovery | The four pillars of wellbeing

Every year, mental health challenges effect one in four people. Research from the Mental Health Foundation (MHF)^[1] shows that protecting our mental health is going to be central to us coping with, and recovering from, the coronavirus pandemic.

As we come steadily out of the more severe lockdown and into an in between period of the unknown, many may find it even more challenging to tackle feelings of anxiety, depression and other mental healthcare concerns. Many employers are currently in triage mode, trying to virtually support and engage a workforce, and maintain service levels to clients.

There’s never been a more important time to prioritise the wellbeing of your teams, but figuring out where to start can be tough in the current climate. Where many companies are already feeling the pressure of a completely upended Q1, the perception of added cost and time spent to implement a wellbeing strategy creates another hurdle. For those with existing strategies, there could be a temptation to cut costs around non-essential spending. There are other options, as a well-structured and delivered employee benefits investment will provide a real return.

For me, true wellbeing is a combination of what I like to call the ‘four pillars’: physical, emotional and social, financial and workplace.