May 11th – 17th is Mental Health Awareness Week. This year’s theme, set by the Mental Health Foundation, is ‘Take Action’.

It’s a good time to think about everyday actions we can all take to support our own mental wellbeing and that of people we work with. Those actions definitely don’t need to be grand, time-consuming or costly to make a real difference: it’s about simple things, done consistently.

Taking inspiration from the NHS’s ‘Five steps to mental wellbeing’, here are some small actions to think about bringing into the workplace that can help everyone, every day.

• Give to others: show appreciation by saying thank you, recognising effort, or acknowledging a job well done; or offer help if you spot a colleague’s under pressure or facing a challenge.
• Connect with others: make time for quick catch-ups, whether lunch, coffee, or just asking someone ‘how are you?’ and taking time to really listen to the answer. If you, or colleagues, work remotely, stay personally connected through video calls.
• Learn new skills: learning something new brings a real sense of achievement, even if that’s as simple as trying out a new tool or system. Sharing this new-found knowledge with colleagues boosts confidence and wellbeing.
• Be physically active: moving more during time at work – even just stretching or choosing the stairs not the lift – makes a real difference to mental clarity. Where practical, walking meetings are a great idea.
• Be mindful: taking a minute to pause, breathe and reset during the day creates calm in busy moments, while doing one thing at a time reduces stress, too.
• Seek support when its needed: no-one has to face challenges alone. Speak to a manager, HR team member, or trusted colleague if things feel overwhelming, or contact the Printing Charity’s helpline on 0333 212 3534 for 24/7 emotional support.

Printing Charity CEO Neil Lovell explained: “Individual actions make a real difference, and the impact when people work together can make positive changes at scale. That’s one of the reasons why the Printing Charity has recently launched the free Wellbeing Community, where anyone involved in workplace wellbeing in the print industry can find resources, support and guidance on how to help their whole organisation build the best support for their employees. We encourage everyone involved in workplace wellbeing to sign up and join us.”

About The Printing Charity: Office for National Statistics data from March 2025 shows there are 19,000 businesses employing 240,000 people across the print industry and allied trades.

The Printing Charity has provided practical, emotional and financial support to people who work in print, paper, packaging, graphics and publishing since 1827, and is proud of its heritage.

The organisation’s charitable aims include promoting independence, protecting dignity and furthering education.

Today the charity fulfils these aims and meets the needs of those it helps through a free 24/7 helpline, financial assistance, welfare support and signposting to specialist services, two Almshouses providing sheltered accommodation for people retired from the sector, and initiatives supporting sector-specific training, with a focus on young people starting out in print through the annual Rising Star Awards.

Please see www.theprintingcharity.org.uk for more information and follow @printingcharity