Colleague blog: wellbeing at work

In this blog we hear from colleague, Chantel, HR Officer at Elim, as she shares her thoughts and experiences on wellbeing at work. At Elim Housing, we take pride in our commitment to employee happiness, and our wellbeing plays a significant role in this.

Chantel is a Mental Health First Aider (MHFA), part of a team of volunteers on hand to provide confidential advice and signposting to Elim colleagues. Meeting quarterly, the group plan and deliver events raising awareness and promoting positive behaviours, hoping to inspire and inform colleagues. Here’s what she had to say:

“Having a focus on wellbeing has been hugely important over the past couple of years, we cannot be complacent as people’s physical, mental and financial wellbeing will continue to be at the forefront of the conversations being held inside and outside of work. Knowing how to cope with challenges that affect our wellbeing is crucial, so regularly bringing together Elim’s Mental Health First Aiders and being able to support colleagues is something myself and the team are very proud of.   

At Elim we aim to adopt a preventative approach as the most effective when it comes to managing workplace stress and appreciates burnout does not happen overnight and can take hold before you are truly aware of it. In considering the wider theme of burnout, we begin to think about self-care and self-compassion.

I believe self-care practices like taking quiet moments for yourself can certainly help reduce stress, but lasting resilience requires self-compassion. Being kind and understanding towards ourselves, especially in tough moments, builds a foundation for growth. Self-compassion allows us to navigate setbacks without harsh criticism, offering ourselves the same empathy as we would give a friend or work colleague.

Having completed a Bachelors in Psychology, this sparked my initial interest in this area after becoming more aware of how the workplace can affect our mental health. We know there is much more work to be done in Elim’s approach to mental health and the group are looking forward to developing plans during 2025/26 which will see the creation of a Wellbeing Strategy and improving the way Elim utilises Wellness Action Plans and Stress Risk Assessments.” 

We know that to thrive at work, our colleagues need to feel that their wellbeing is supported. We provide access to a Health Cash Plan, free counselling sessions through our Employee Assistance Programme and wellbeing information and support.

Our Wellbeing Policy outlines the things we are doing to create a positive and inclusive culture that attracts and retains the best people. We want to motivate and inspire our colleagues to serve our customers and empower our managers to make the right decisions for their teams.