This year, Edelman is once again recognising our 6,000+ Edelman colleagues with a global closure on October 10 in recognition of World Mental Health Day. In the UK we’re looking forward to taking the chance to unwind, unplug and focus on self-care.
Ahead of World Mental Health Day, we spoke to our Mental Health First Aiders. This team act as a first point of contact for our colleagues who are experiencing a mental health issue and need someone to talk to. Read below as they share their plans for World Mental Health Day:
Dominic Burt, Senior Account Executive, Assembly
September and October are typically quite busy months for the account I’m on (Xbox), with plenty of titles launching. Having supported Obsidian Entertainment with their launches of “Grounded 1.0” (a backyard adventure with ‘Honey, I Shrunk the Kids’ vibes) in September, and medieval murder mystery “Pentiment” in November, I’m looking forward to spending my day off getting stuck into Grounded 1.0. At the moment, each day seems to bring with it more bleak news in the UK, and I find solace in immersing myself in the worlds of these games and other titles.
Terrie Barron, Media Strategist, Tech
For World Mental Health Day 2022, I’m going to make a batch of Halloween themed candles for family and friends. I’m also planning on going on a nature walk in Alexandra Palace, reading a book, and having a relaxing bubble bath.
Monna Jhand, Associate Finance Director, Europe Regional
Life is pretty busy with a toddler, so I plan to use this day treating myself to all the things I haven’t had a chance to do in a while…manicure, pedicure, a little shopping followed by a lunch. I also love watching TV so I plan to watch a few episodes of “Selling Sunset”.
Saskia Butler-Tempest, Senior Account Manager, Brand
I adore Autumn, so for this year’s World Mental Health Day I’m going to make the most of our day off and jump head first into the cosy season – walk through Battersea Park and enjoy the changing coloured leaves, curl up watching a film (Jurassic Park is a firm favourite, I worryingly know most of the script!) and bake something wholesome to munch on. Chocolate orange brownies or Daim bar cookies are my go-to!
Emma Coughlan, Director, Health
It’s been a busy few months for me and my team working on a big, multi-channel campaign for one of our biggest clients and we’re gearing up for launch in mid-November. I’m planning to take some time away from the screen and teams pings on Monday October 10 to do an exercise class and then visit a friend and her new baby for a walk in the fresh air. Looking forward to it!
Francesca Pierpoint, Account Manager, Corporate
I’m really looking forward to having an extra day off for World Mental Health Day and to relax after a busy few months. I plan on spending the day with my family (and dog!), getting outdoors, and having some quality time with them, and hopefully a pub lunch too!
Jana Carvalho, HR Project Manager, EMEA
I’m very thankful for having the opportunity to switch off on this day. I’m aware that this day is rather symbolic so for me it will be a day when I reflect on my ‘self-care’ - how can I make sure I look after my health (physical and mental) a bit better going into to winter season. Not always easy with 2 small kids but I know I can do better. I will also spend some time decorating the house as I find it very therapeutic.
Gavin Spicer, MD Assembly
It's that crazy time of year again, not the Pumpkin Spice Lattes, but the time that always feels like one Microsoft launch/event/campaign after another in quick succession. I’ll be welcoming the extra day off and hoping for no rain as I have plans to clear the head and get the blood pumping, cycling to Brighton, and then back again. I’ll probably then need to eat all of Deliveroo to recover. So, a nice relaxing day off.
Annabelle Torr, Account Director, Brand
Making mental health a priority is hugely important especially when working in a fast paced industry such as comms – it's essential to make time to pause, reflect and decompress. I’ll be spending the day investing in myself, and the evening with my husband. I am currently studying for my French Wine Scholar certification which I use to make recommendations and top selections for my wine side hustle, @bellecuvee - I love nothing more than curling up with a good book. This World Mental Health Day I’ll be exploring a new local wine bar and getting excited for my trip to Bordeaux the following week with my friends.
Holly Purchase, Principal Writer, DP World Editorial
In case you hadn’t heard already, we are doing some amazing work with DP World right now. However, I’m excited to have the opportunity to hit pause for a day and calm my mind after such a successful year to date. I have every intention of doing something sensible like going for a run, eating something nutritious and getting a great night’s sleep to be kind to myself. However, my other options are to bake cake, eat cake and binge-watch the Rings of Power – and that’s OK too! Any or all the above will make me feel good and that’s what counts on World Mental Health Day.
Fergus Franklin, Account Director, Assembly
When we were given WMHD off last year, I took it as an opportunity to spend the day preparing to propose to my (now) wife later that evening – which didn’t exactly calm my stress levels. Safe to say that my day off won’t be as exciting as that this year, but I’d like to spend it doing one of my favourite things – cooking. Throughout lockdown, like many of us I upped my chef skills (generous term) and took a lot of pleasure in unwinding after a busy day by spending it in the kitchen – I’d like to get back into that rhythm, alongside taking some time away from screens to go on a run through London to properly relax.
Laura Huizenga, Associate Director, SSIP
As soon as the news came out that we’d have WMHD off, I knew I’d be taking to the trails. I want to pick a longer hike that forces me to race against sunset to complete before dark. With everyone else at work, I’m hoping to have the path to myself and time alone to think, process, and reconnect with nature.
For us, Mental Health goes further than one day off. Year-round Edelman provide employees with a range of policies and resources to look after their mental health including:
- Work from anywhere: As long as we have access to a high-speed, reliable connection, our people can live and work from anywhere in the world for up to 30 days a year. Each country has differing rules on reporting and withholding of income, so we will need a permanent address for these purposes, but our hope is that this level of flexibility allows our employees to take trips they otherwise wouldn’t be able to, visit distant family for extended periods of time and explore the world in ways they couldn’t before.
- Dusk to Dawn Policy: This policy encourages employees to refrain from sending non-urgent emails outside of core hours.
- Calm Premium Membership: All Edelman employees have access to Calm’s Premium Membership.
- Global Mental Health Policy: Last May, we introduced our Global Mental Health policy, as a continuation of our commitment around the importance of mental health. Employee wellbeing support: from financial wellbeing workshops and Pilates sessions to our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), a free, confidential hotline to trained professionals who can help employees 24/7.