What is Mental Wellbeing...

What is mental wellbeing?

During episode two of our podcast series, Putting the X in Success, we welcomed Pat Garland Smith, Counsellor Training Manager from Care First, to discuss various mental health topics, and this is how she would answer the question: what is mental wellbeing?

I think it's important to look at the difference between mental health and mental illness. With mental health, we're talking about our day-to-day wellbeing, which can be affected by a poor relationship, lack of sleep, illness, or any sort of thing that affects our day-to-day routine. That's our mental health and wellbeing - our mental wellbeing.”

Pat’s description makes it clear that when we discuss mental health or mental wellbeing, it’s not restricted to a diagnosed or recognised mental illness. Mental wellbeing is our everyday state of being, and internal and external factors impact it.

What is meant by emotional wellbeing?

Reading Pat’s description of mental wellbeing makes it understandable why emotional and mental wellbeing may be confused. There is some common ground. Lack of sleep and other factors will undoubtedly impact our emotional outlook, but the distinction between the two remains.

Let’s take personal goals as an example - whether reaching a fitness milestone, participating in a competition, or striving for a promotion. What happens if you don’t achieve it? Do you give up, or do you try harder?

The state of your emotional wellbeing will determine your answer. 

• Those with positive emotional wellbeing will be able to rationalise the situation, be mindful, take a step back, refocus and try again with the same effort or more.
• Those with poor emotional wellbeing are likely to have a negative emotional response - a response that gets the better of them and prevents them from problem-solving and moving forward.

What is the difference between mental health and emotional wellbeing?

The more we dissect the two, the more they merge, but we expect this for one very significant reason - we are one whole. Our mind and body are connected. Our mental wellbeing fluctuates and, when lower, can affect our emotional wellbeing and vice versa.

Lack of sleep, loss, and an argument with a loved one impact our emotions, changing our emotional response to a situation we may have previously handled 'well'. We may later reflect on that response and rectify it, but in the moment, the factors that impacted our mental wellbeing also impacted our emotions.

What are the potential consequences of declining emotional wellbeing and mental health?

Staying true to Pat’s definition of mental wellbeing, we can agree that if our mental health declines, so does our overall wellbeing. The knock-on effect is poorer emotional wellbeing, which then negatively impacts mental health.

It’s a vicious circle that can increase stress, anxiety and depression - recognised mental illnesses.

If an employee has adequate support, they can alleviate the risk of mental illness, but your business could still feel the impact of poor mental wellbeing in the following ways:

• Disengaged employees
• Poor productivity
• Lack of motivation
• Increased absenteeism
• Workplace conflicts and more.

What do all these things have in common? They have a negative financial impact on your business.

Mental Wellbeing: Employer Responsibilities

The financial impact poor mental wellbeing has on your business is reason enough to act, but there are also legal responsibilities on employers.

The Health and Safety at Work Act (1974), The Equality Act (2010) and the Mental Health (Discrimination) Act (2013) specify employer responsibilities regarding mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.

Read our 'Employer's Guide to Mental Health at Work' for more.

Ultimately, employers have a duty of care to ensure the working environment is safe; employees are protected from discrimination and carry out risk assessments (ACAS).

We’ve mentioned stress and how our emotional and mental wellbeing can impact our ability to handle it. The same is true in reverse. Continued excess stress will negatively impact our wellbeing.

Employers must also monitor workplace stress, reducing excessive levels where possible. The Working Time Regulations (1998) play a role here in ensuring that people aren’t working too many hours and are taking regular breaks - something that will impact stress levels, as well as emotional and mental wellbeing.