When we are and feel psychologically safe at work, we feel like we belong, which unlocks creativity and productivity, fosters innovation, and builds community.
This, coupled with our desire to build understanding of the interlinks between inclusive cultures, wellbeing, mental health, and performance, led to the creation of the My Whole Self campaign in 2019.
Our President, Lord Kamlesh Patel, hosted the launch of My Whole Self at the House of Lords before Covid changed our working lives, but the inaugural My Whole Self Day took place in March 2020 just as we were being locked down for the first time.
Had we known in October 2019 how things were going to unfold in the year ahead, I am pretty sure we would not have launched the campaign. Thankfully, we did, because over the last five years, the campaign has led to some amazing conversations, connections, and change in workplaces up and down the country.
We have seen time and again that My Whole Self speaks to so many people about expressing ourselves freely at work. For others, it hasn’t always resonated so well. Some people have questioned whether the campaign is forcing people to show parts of themselves that they don’t want to, and/or assert that it is paving the way for bad behaviour at work.
I welcome the support and challenges; both help sharpen our thinking, understanding, and determination for change. And I am clear that it is not intended to do either of the above.
My Whole Self is about creating inclusive cultures where everyone can express themselves freely
as they choose to. Some people will never have had to think about whether they can take their whole selves to work. They just can. And others will be using significant emotional energy to navigate their way through the working day, which is not good for them, their teams, or the business.
At Mental Health First Aid England®, we want to change this and create positive workplace cultures where everyone feels they belong and believe they can express themselves as they want to
, without fear of judgment or discrimination.
Why My Whole Self matters to me
Our work experiences are significantly influenced by who we are, how others respond to us and our experiences at work and in wider society.
I was appointed CEO of MHFA England in 2018. As always, it was a steep learning curve. As I learned about workplace mental health, it seemed to me that discussions about mental health at work and inclusion could be more joined up.
As a gay man who grew up in 1980s Britain, the My Whole Self campaign really matters. From an early age, I learned that people like me were to be feared. We were a danger to other people and the very moral fabric of society. When you grow up in that environment, it inevitably leaves muddy footprints on your confidence which I, and many others in LGBT+ communities, have carried into adulthood (1). It has meant working with an internal dialogue and self-doubt, self-censoring, and often seeking to ‘be good’ and fit in at work and wider society.
Over the last 30 years society has become more accepting and I have learned to believe in and be kinder to myself. Thankfully I don’t have to worry about protecting myself at work because of who I am.
Since we launched My Whole Self, I have had the privilege of hearing from lots of different people who have shared stories about the importance of belonging at work and the power of psychological safety.
What connects all these stories is joy of being free to express ourselves at work. We cannot uncouple psychological safety, belonging, mental health and productivity – they all fuel one another.
Work is changing and so must we!
We imagined the My Whole Self campaign in the context of how we understood work pre-Covid. Mostly, we expected in-person, office-based activity fostering a more inclusive environment.
Covid-19 dramatically changed the way we work.
Our mental health came into sharp focus as we navigated our way through the pandemic and simultaneously faced systemic racism and gender-based violence following the murders of George Floyd in the USA and Sarah Everard in the UK.
Despite this context, My Whole Self research in 2023 showed that nearly half of all employees (48%) reported they had no wellbeing check-in with their employer in the past year. This was a significant rise from 25% who reported the same in 2021.
The case for creating cultures of belonging and psychological safety continues to grow as we understand more about the deep inequalities and societal biases that are often reflected in the workplace, including:
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Gender inequality: Gender pay gap reporting shows that women continue to earn less than men for similar work. Women will have to work an extra 19 years to retire with the same pension pot as men. These gaps are amplified for Black women and women of colour (2)
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Racism: Including microaggressions, discrimination in hiring and promotions, performance evaluations, resource access, and workplace culture.
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Barriers for disabled people: Including physical accessibility issues, discriminatory hiring practice, and a lack of action to enable people to thrive.
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Neurodivergence: Despite unique talents, people who are neurodivergent often face discrimination at work. The workplace, like society, is designed for people who operate within prescribed parameters.
We are grappling with new working realities; we are generally looking for more flexibility about when and where we work. Most workplaces are trying to find an approach that works for individuals, teams, and the business. A focus on relationships, connection, a sense of belonging, and psychological safety remains more important than ever.
Leaders, managers and partnerships matter
Positive cultures are driven by senior leaders and must be experienced by everybody throughout every level of our organisations. Managers play a crucial role in creating workplaces that allow people to express their whole selves without fear of judgement, which is why we created the
Line Managers' Toolkit supported by the Chartered Management Institute and partnered with Business in the Community and others to produce guidance on supporting racialised communities in the workplace
These partnerships have supported widespread engagement, with over 200 organisations and 12,000 individuals using our resources to create more inclusive and psychologically safe workplaces.
It has been a joy to see a wide range of organisations across different sectors including Fortnum and Mason, Toshiba UK, The National Crime Agency, and Grant Thornton, using the campaign to support their mental health and equity and inclusion work.
Many organisations have taken significant action to embed the principles underpinning My Whole Self into their wellbeing strategies throughout the year.
Thank you to every single one of you who has shared, listened, or participated in My Whole Self activities over the past five years. You are helping to create the workplaces we want to see.
The countdown to My Whole Self Day 2024 is on
As we count down to My Whole Self Day 2024, I am excited to hear how organisations are marking the day and using it as a launchpad for further activity throughout the year.
This year, we have published the My Whole Self: Guide to creating inclusive workplace cultures. This guide brings together all our updated resources and activities alongside practical, inclusive strategies for leaders, HR, people managers, and employees to give you everything you need to create workplaces where everyone is seen, heard, and valued.
Download the My Whole Self: Guide to creating inclusive workplace cultures
Every single person deserves to feel like they belong and they are safe to be themselves at work. There have been so many inspiring and fun conversations along the way.
If I have learned anything over the past 30 years of working, it is this: there is no one single way to be ourselves at work. Our job is to create the conditions for people to belong, be safe, and flourish.
Together, through the My Whole Self campaign, we are helping to create workplace cultures where everyone belongs. We have a very long way to go, that's for sure, but as the Chinese philosopher Tzu said, ‘The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step’.
If you want support or specific input regarding My Whole Self in your workplace, please email us at workplace@mhfaengland.org.
Sources:
(1) Straight Jacket, Matthew Todd, 2016
(2) The Guardian, UK women ‘need to work extra 19 years to retire with same pension pot as men’, 2024
