Atmos International Supporting World Mental Health Day

In these challenging times, mental health has come to the fore. At Atmos, it is something that we always take seriously and make our colleagues and teams aware of.

Since the lockdowns in March, many of our colleagues are now working full-time from home, often facing challenges they had not faced before. For some it involved homeschooling their children, for others, it meant being isolated from friends, colleagues and family due to living away from their family homes. The loss of a permanent desk and equipment was at first difficult. The decision by Atmos not to furlough any colleague was relatively unique in the UK.

Even for those who feel resilient, Covid-19 has not been easy. Many of us enjoy the social and intellectual interactions of working in an office; the informal chats about projects, the office ‘banter’ and of course the water cooler and coffee. Changes to working from home meant this was simply not possible.

We responded to the challenge in several ways including the provision of a retained therapist specializing in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and counseling. This is something that is available to all staff as and when they need it. Alongside this, we produced guides on working from home and managing stress. To engage our colleagues, we delivered a five-week program on a positive mindset, growth and development – facilitated by an external provider. The program helped colleagues to look at their mental health, the need for mental vitamins and creating goals. Colleagues from four continents and nine time zones attended.

Despite colleagues not seeing each other in person, some of our teams and offices have organized virtual get-togethers. Our colleagues in Anaheim organized a post-work catch up (read more) and others have had virtual birthday celebrations for their colleagues.

Atmos CEO Jun Zhang comments: “Our immediate concern upon lockdown was the well-being of our colleagues. We are a family and the loss of daily face to face interactions could have been a big challenge. With team effort from our colleagues and the use of several activities and tools, we hope that our colleagues feel supported and able to reach out if they feel stressed or their mental health is affected.”

“We are committed to continuing our CBT counseling sessions. Mental health is something we all should take care of. We should also take care of each other and check on others.”

Mental health for all tips

  • It’s okay not to be okay, you’re not alone there are people who can support you
  • Check on colleagues, friends and family – perhaps a short call or even a WhatsApp to see how they are doing
  • Ask for help – there’s no shame in asking for support when you are finding things difficult

Useful links and information

Advice from a British therapist (PDF)

UK

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