'Blue Monday' is a myth, workplace wellbeing is not
According to psychologist Cliff Arnall, who coined the term in 2004 for a PR campaign, Blue Monday falls on the third Monday of each year, so-called because it is the date people feel at their lowest after the Christmas and New Year period. While there is no scientific evidence to support this, it is easy to buy into the low feeling when going back to work.
That is why a wellbeing champion is so important for providing a proactive approach to good health and wellbeing in the workplace. They are best placed to promote health campaigns and encourage colleagues to live a healthier lifestyle, and they can be the ‘go to’ individuals for those in need of a listening ear.
To understand how the value of good physical and mental health is promoted in the workplace, RSSB carried out extensive analysis across the rail industry. The findings identified a need for a rail-specific training programme to upskill and develop the competency and confidence of wellbeing champions.
In response to the finidings, we launched our Wellbeing Champions Training course last year. The course provides participants with an understanding of health and wellbeing principles, helps develop communication skills to enable them to encourage their colleagues to improve their health and wellbeing and support a health-promoting local culture and environment.
The course equips delegates with the skills they need to become an effective wellbeing champion, including:
- Key principles of physical and mental health
- An introduction to healthy habits for nutrition, sleep and exercise
- Awareness of common signs of poor health
- Tips on having an effective conversation with a colleague on health and wellbeing
Magdalena Wronska, trainer for the Wellbeing Champions Training said:
“For meaningful change to happen, companies need to think about the vital role of health and wellbeing champions who support their colleagues when a wellbeing programme, a talk or a health check is over. But in order to do that, champions need to be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills, which is not an easy task. Wellbeing Champions Training has been based on the industry needs analysis and is designed to offer a comprehensive and consistent approach to developing essential competencies and confidence of wellbeing champions to help them thrive in their roles.”
We recognise that every organisation is different, and can work with you to deliver bespoke courses that are customised to your requirements and delivered remotely or at a location of your choice. In addition, pre- and post-training evaluations can be developed to measure the impact of the course.
Other RSSB mental health courses:
- E-Learning courses on Mental Health Awareness at Work and Managing Mental Health at Work, designed with leading mental health charity Mind specifically for the rail industry.
- Mental Wellbeing for Line Managers course a course that helps build line managers’ capability to spot signs that someone is struggling, and provide the information they need to better support good mental wellbeing in their teams.
Contact our Training team at training@rssb.co.uk for more information or ring +44 20 3142 5418 and we’ll be in touch to discuss how we can support you.
