Mental health resources you can use and share this 10 October 2020

If you are championing mental wellness in the workplace, check out the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Conference (NCPC) in November, as well as scroll down for 10 relevant reading materials.

The biggest mental health event of the year is coming up this November. The highly lauded National Counselling & Psychotherapy Conference (NCPC) made a very successful debut in Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong and the UK last year as an international series; drawing a crowd of nearly 1,500 attendees across four countries.

Aside from counsellors and psychotherapists, this conference series is popular among corporate professionals as well, such as HR teams who are keen to understand the latest mental health trends and concerns.

In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, the organisers are bringing the second edition of the conference back to Asia in a highly interactive and experiential virtual format. With eminent psychologists and counsellors from the US, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, India and the Philippines speaking at this conference, this is a rare opportunity to engage in a cross-cultural exchange of best practices and experience.

[Who's speaking at the conference?]

HR champions of mental wellbeing can look out for an exclusive keynote on how to elevate levels of happiness and resilience in pandemic times, delivered by world-class scientist and positive psychology scholar Dr Barbara Fredrickson. Other exciting sessions to look out for include case studies and demonstrations by IMH, SGH, The School of Positive Psychology, and crisis intervention experts Samaritans of Singapore (SOS).

To mark World Mental Health Day on 10 October, the organisers are offering 30% off ticket prices with the promo code SALE30.

While you leverage this exclusive offer, we also take the opportunity to present some of the most sought-after reading material on mental health in the workplace. Please free to click on the headlines below and find out more: 

1. 3 ways to protect and promote good mental health at the workplace
Managers should be trained to have conversations about mental health, to recognise the signs of poor mental health and how to respond appropriately, as advised by the experts from the Tripartite Alliance for Fair & Progressive Employment Practices. 
Read more

2. How a modular approach can make mental health programmes more effective
Aaron Harvey has struggled with severe OCD for as long as he can remember. Not one to sit by idly, he is now the Founder, Made of Millions & Ready Set Rocket, and in this piece, he discusses the snowball effect when the top of an organisation demonstrates openness around emotional health.
Read more

3. How to take care of your mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: 24 tips
Ranging from empathetic advice, such as acknowledging the role of healthcare workers, to the more complex, such as refraining from calling the impacted patients 'cases' or 'victims', we believe the following (adapted) guidelines will help calm your mind during this testing time.
Read more

4. 75% of Singaporeans surveyed have improved their wellbeing post-Circuit Breaker
Close to eight in 10 Singaporeans (75%) surveyed have seen an improvement in at least one aspect of their wellbeing within eight weeks of Singapore's circuit breaker. This was a result of a majority choosing to prioritise staying healthy (93%) over other pursuits in that period, a recent study has revealed.
Read more

5. Singapore’s government on how employers can support employees’ mental health during isolation
It will be good for supervisors to check in with their staff regularly, at least once a week. These can be done through informal chats on how they are coping, and to encourage employees to support one another. Also, do consider signing up for an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).
Read more

6. How UOB provides mental resilience and anxiety support to its 26,000 staff amidst COVID-19
Top of the list are digital courses for managers to care for their employees who may face anxiety, as well as a dedicated hotline which employees can call should they feel the need to speak to a mental health professional.
Read more

7. From 'I' to 'we': Change 'illness' to 'wellness' in the workplace together
Over the years, scientists and psychologists have come up with a lot of formulas, anti-depressants and theories about mental illness. While anti-depressants suppress a lot of our symptoms, let me tell you a secret - one of the most important panacea of mental health is social support.
Read more

8. 'Show me you care about me': Employees' responses to how they'd like to be treated
“Be human. Show me you care about me and the other employees.” This was the most common response given by employees when asked to respond to the question: "How would you like to be treated by those who lead you?” 
Read more

9. Four tips for achieving work-life harmony while working from home
Emerging from COVID-19, one thing is clear – remote working is here to stay. Jerene Ang looks into how we can overcome one of the biggest challenges of such an arrangement – achieving work-life harmony.
Read more

10. Health anxiety plagues Singaporeans and PRs, with the threat of pandemic the biggest concern
In a survey of 500 adults, it was found that while people in Singapore are clearly focused on COVID-19 currently, mental health and depression also rank high among their immediate health concerns. At the same time, lifestyle diseases such as diabetes continue to be background worries.
Read more 

Established psychologists from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and the US are speaking at the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Conference taking place virtually on 10-12 November. Pre-order your tickets at the conference to gain deep insights into prevalent triggers of poor mental well-being and the support available. Group discounts with three pax or more registrations are available at an attractive price! Speak to Priya Veeriah, Regional Production Manager, to register your team of well-being champions today.

Find out more here. To mark World Mental Health Day on 10 October, the organisers are offering 30% off ticket prices with the promo code SALE30.

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