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Hello, and welcome to the November edition of the Fire on the Hill Wellbeing Digest, your source for the latest stories on workplace mental health and employee wellbeing. In this edition, we discuss International Men’s Day and how perfectionism can hinder performance in the workplace. We also take a look at an upcoming London exhibition that explores the relationship between community and mental health.
International Men’s Day
To mark International Men’s Day on November 19th and Movember, the British government launched a series of new workplace health initiatives. These support men in male-dominated industries and help organisations understand and respond to the specific wellbeing needs of their male employees.
The Department of Health hopes to raise awareness about specific hardships faced by men, highlighting that they are less likely than women to seek support and can therefore suffer in silence. As part of its new men’s health strategy, the government has pledged £3.6 million over the next three years to fund suicide prevention projects aimed at middle-aged men. In the UK, three-quarters of all suicides are male, and it is one of the leading causes of death among men under 50.
As we saw in last month’s digest, mental health issues are now the leading cause of long-term absence. However, taking a proactive approach to meeting the needs of male employees could improve performance and talent attraction and retention, while reducing absence rates. Employers can support male employees by providing an environment in which mental health can be discussed openly and help is easily accessible.
The perfectionism trap
Perfectionism is often seen as a sign of fastidiousness or high standards, and many people wear the label as a badge of honour. But could this supposed virtue actually be a vice in disguise? This month, we wanted to highlight this podcast, which focuses on exploring the psychology of perfectionism: The BBC Sounds podcast Complex with Kimberley Wilson.
In the episode, health psychologist Dr Sula Windgassen argues that – far from helping us perform at our best – perfectionism actually holds us back from achieving greatness at work and in all areas of life.
She explains that perfectionism is linked to a fear of failure. That fear tends to fuel procrastination, causing perfectionists to delay starting a task until the moment is ‘just right’ or until they have all the necessary resources. It can also have a negative impact on wellbeing, leading to anxiety, tiredness and stress-related physical symptoms, such as a weakened immune system. Perfectionists not only self-sabotage but also slow down their teams. At their most extreme, perfectionists hinder progress by questioning every detail and delaying work.
So, how can we strike the right balance between perfectionism, which is an obstacle to success, and underperforming? Dr Windgassen suggests a form of exposure therapy involving asking yourself what you think will happen if the outcome isn’t perfect, writing down your predictions and testing them in real time. She also explains that tolerating discomfort and pushing yourself outside your comfort zone is all part of the process: “That’s not a sign that you shouldn’t do it – it’s a sign that you should,” she says.
Mental health, isolation and connection
Those concerned with understanding different viewpoints on mental health may be interested in the upcoming exhibition at Bethlem Museum of the Mind, Kindred. The museum documents the lives, experiences and achievements of people with mental health challenges. Held in the world’s oldest psychiatric hospital, the exhibition opens in January and explores how mental health and community are intertwined, for better or worse.
The exhibition showcases artworks by individuals who have experienced mental illness first-hand, reflecting on a tension at the heart of connecting with others through shared experience – its capacity to both comfort and isolate. The exhibition features work by Charlotte Johnson Wahl (the late mother of Boris Johnson), portraying her experience of group therapy; photographs by Gareth McConnell of empty meeting rooms that once held recovery circles; and a series by artist Mud, chronicling a therapeutic journey from mistrust to healing. Other contributors include Chilean artist Bibi Herrera and photographer Benji Reid, whose work challenges how mental illness is represented and understood.
The exhibition’s title, Kindred, signals its focus on navigating mental health challenges as a collective process, while also exploring the negative aspects of groups. As exhibition officer Rebecca Raybone notes, “Mental health is a journey, rather than a binary process. It’s important people find what works for them.”
