Brightstar Financial is supporting Mental Health Awareness Week with a range of activities that back its Mental Health Action Plan and commitment to wellbeing.

Throughout the week, employees at Brightstar are being encouraged to take part in a variety of activities that could help to improve their mental wellbeing, including group exercise, at-desk massages and ‘mentally healthy’ breakfasts.

Clare Jupp, director of people development at Brightstar Financial, said: “At Brightstar, we take mental health and the wellbeing of our people very seriously. We have a Mental Health Action Plan in place and a Wellbeing Room that provides a quiet space for people to use during the day, and we also support a number of mental health charities. So, it is only natural for us to use Mental Health Awareness Week as a way of promoting awareness of mental health issues and wellbeing amongst the team.

“Throughout the week we will be offering a number of activities to help demonstrate the benefits that exercise, good diet and controlling stress can have on mental health. For some people, for example, exercise relieves symptoms of anxiety in ways that medication and talking therapies can’t.

“The Royal College of Psychiatrists says exercise affects certain chemicals in the brain, like dopamine and serotonin, which in turn impacts upon mood and thinking, and some GPs now even prescribe exercise in the same way as medicine.So, to get the week off to a great start, and weather permitting, we are going to assemble some walking groups over the lunch time period.

“We are also providing free at-desk massages from Sense Massage Therapy and a nutritious breakfast that includes a range of foods containing anti-oxidants, B vitamins, selenium, omega 3 and protein – all of which are known to be stress busters and good for the brain.”