Across the UK, 15.4m days are lost due to stress, depression or anxiety with each person affected taking around 25.8 days off per year according to the Health & Safety Executive. That’s a huge dent in the bottom line whilst putting pressure on everyone else on the team.

This year we hosted a free wellbeing festival De-Stress Fest which saw nearly 200 organisers receive 140 treatments and learn how they could reduce stress at work and at home.

Treatments such as Access Bars ‘de-frag’ the brain restoring a sense of calm when overloaded, rebalancing the mind and body allows equilibrium to be restored and aromatherapy oils can achieve calm and relaxation in an office environment through using a diffuser. The survey that followed showed that it was exactly what people wanted, but more of it.

The Royal Horticultural Society, which owns the Lindley and Lawrence Halls has pledged to improve mental wellbeing in the workplace through the ‘Time to Change’ campaign, set out to end discrimination against mental health. We have Wellbeing Champions who can signpost employees to the appropriate person for their needs and around World Mental Health Day on 10 October we will have a week of wellbeing programmes for staff to enjoy. In fact, it is the intention that we have a wellbeing activity every month.

Stress Matters created a pledge purely for event industry, and run Mental Health First Aid workshops to train line managers how to deal with colleagues suffering stress and how to spot the signs.

So, let’s take stock of all the things available to us and take time out to achieve more.