My Whole Self is the campaign for workplace culture change. We’re calling on organisations to empower employees to bring their whole self to work, and support their own and others’ wellbeing.
The nation faces a mental health crisis in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. More people than ever will need mental health and wellbeing support. Employers can help by driving a positive transformation in workplace mental health and performance through bringing together diversity and inclusion with health and wellbeing.
As many people continue to work from home, supporting human connections is more vital than ever. Whether your organisation is working remotely or not, My Whole Self is a great way to strengthen your working relationships.
Take the seven steps below and access the resources to help create the conditions for an inclusive workplace where people can be their whole self.
You and your organisation can get involved in My Whole Self at any time throughout the year.
Everything you need to get your organisation involved in My Whole Self can be found in our campaign toolkit, including suggested social media posts and web or newsletter copy.
Download (PDF): Campaign toolkit
Regular wellbeing catch-ups with colleagues are a vital way to support people’s mental health, especially during the pandemic. We have created the My Whole Self MOT – a simple, free guide to help check in on your own and others’ mental health and wellbeing.
We encourage you to share the MOT with your colleagues. Line managers can also use the MOT as a tool to talk about mental health during any one to one sessions with direct reports.
Download (PDF): My Whole Self MOT
We asked over 2,000 employees which type of mental health and wellbeing support they found most useful. The majority, 44% of people, chose team-building activities as their preference.
We have created three activity ideas which help build deeper connections among teams – a book club, a desert island favourites challenge, and a My Whole Self discussion panel.
They are all simple to arrange and work digitally if you are working remotely.
Download (PDF):
Book club activity sheet
Desert island favourites activity sheet
My Whole Self discussion panel
Creating a My Whole Selfie is a great way to help colleagues feel connected and to show your organisation’s support for My Whole Self. It works best if senior leaders at your organisation share their own My Whole Selfie and invite the whole organisation to take part.
Here's how:
Take a selfie, and add ‘This is #MyWholeSelf’ and words to describe your whole self. You can write on a piece of paper and hold it in the selfie, or you can add the words using your phone’s photo app or in your social media app (e.g. Instagram Stories, Facebook Stories, or a LinkedIn post)
Share your picture on your social media - you can tag us @MHFAEngland
Here are some examples:
We hosted a webinar on 18 March to celebrate My Whole Self Day and share and tips of how people bring their whole self to work:
You can also watch our webinar on mental health tips for the virtual office:
As many people continue to work from home, supporting human connections is more vital than ever. We've put together some guidance for ways to support your mental health while working from home.
This guide can be shared with employees to help with their mental health, reduce feelings of isolation and help stay connected, especially while working from home.
Download (PDF): Supporting your mental health while working from home
British Sign Language version provided by The Royal Association for Deaf People:
How do you look after yourself while working from home? Share your tips using #MyWholeSelf.
However you and your organisation is taking part in My Whole Self, we have created a range of content for you to show your support and shout about #MyWholeSelf on social media and beyond.
Share these to show your support for My Whole Self on social media.
"We're supporting the campaign for workplace culture change"
Download (PNG):
Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter
"I'm supporting the campaign for workplace culture change"
Download (PNG):
Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter
Download: GIF (no sound) | MOV (with sound)
Share on: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube |
This short clip explains what My Whole Self is and why it's important. Share it at work to introduce your organisation to My Whole Self, and show your support by sharing it on social media.
Download (PNG): Email banner
Add to your email signature to show your organisation is taking part in My Whole Self.
There is more to bringing our whole self to work than staying connected. Many People of Colour and Black people say they have to hide parts of their identity at work. The My Whole Self campaign calls on employers to become actively anti-racist.
Anti-racist workplaces will build cultures where people feel valued and safe. They will enable people to focus on the job in hand and boost productivity through innovation. Workplaces play a key role in creating a society where everyone’s mental health matters.
We’ve put together resources to help organisations including guidance on how to support the mental health and wellbeing of People of Colour and Black people in the workplace:
Becoming an anti-racist organisation
My Whole Self is the campaign for workplace culture change from Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England. It aims to create a workplace culture where people have the safety and freedom to choose which parts of their identity they share at work, without fear of judgement.
The highest performing workplaces are supportive and inclusive. By putting diversity and inclusion at the centre of mental health and wellbeing, employers can create a culture where people can be themselves at work. This helps people to feel more engaged, to think bolder, find common ground, and work more effectively together.
Google’s landmark Aristotle study found that ‘psychological safety’ is one of five key elements that allows a team to excel. Teams that feel safe and connected work better together. To do this they need a working environment that allows them to be authentic and show their whole self.