It is estimated that, in the last week, 1 in 6 people across the world experienced a common mental health problem.
Poor mental health doesn’t recognise borders – it affects people from all cultures, across all ages, from all genders and that means it’s present in every industry globally. Including our wine and spirits industry, where factors such as increased exposure to alcohol, working late nights, travel demands, and more can, for some, make achieving positive wellbeing all the more challenging.
Encouragingly, important conversations about wellbeing are being had within our industry, shining a light on the subject and creating a safe place to discuss issues openly. London Wine Fair 2018 hosted a panel discussion on mental health in the drinks industry.
At the end of the discussion, a courageous member of the audience stood up and shared his reflections: "Being part of this discussion has made me realise what I was going through a few years ago was a period of poor mental health. As a business leader I have a responsibility to look after the wellbeing of my people." There was a sense of relief in the air and an energy to make these conversations more commonplace within the trade.
Why talk about mental health?
In my role as a business consultant, I’m finding this type of response becoming the norm when I speak or deliver training around the topics of mental health and wellbeing – people declare “thank goodness I can finally talk about this stuff!” Mental health issues can be much closer than we realise. I’ve had strangers come and talk to me about their sister who has psychosis, their colleague who has chronic anxiety or a son who’s experiencing suicidal thoughts. And then there are the brave ones who share how they’re really feeling for the first time, as stigma and fear of discrimination have stopped them. Recently a participant said to me “I can’t tell work in case they think I can’t do this job, I’ve just been promoted, and I love what I’m doing.”
What a waste! All that potential being held back because people aren’t getting the support they need, and quickly. The drinks industry is one that believes in pushing the boundaries of creativity, bringing people together to share and have fun, and being a serious player in the world of business – encouraging global trade. To do that we need healthy, engaged team members with the energy, spark and focus to do great work.
Here’s the thing – we all have mental health. It impacts how we think, feel and behave on a daily basis. Sometimes our mental health is good, sometimes our mental health is not so good. Some people may have a long-term mental health diagnosis, however, with a supportive environment and appropriate care, they can still experience high levels of wellbeing and be amazing at what they do.
Kat Hounsell, writer of this article (second to the right), at a mental health seminar hosted by The Benevolent at the London Wine Fair 2018. Other panellists: Mike Turner (Please Bring Me My Wine), Christo Eliott Lockhart (Hallgarten & Novum Wines), Chris Porter (CEO, The Benevolent), Miles Beale (CEO, WSTA). Photo by The Drinks Business
Where’s the conversation got to?
Before sitting down to write this piece I conducted further research to see what ‘noise’ is out there on mental health in the drinks industry.
Top of the list was #NotAlone, the ground-breaking campaign from The Benevolent, the UK’s trade charity. In 2017 the charity set-up a free confidential helpline and more recently they’ve released the findings of an industry focussed report, created in partnership with Wine Intelligence.
A small handful of the survey outcomes:
- 1 in 3 respondents experienced high levels of stress, anxiety and fatigue over the past year
- 4 out of 10 never spoke to anyone at work about their mental health issues
- 49% respondents believed that their company has no mental health support mechanism in place, or none that they are aware of
- The main barrier that stops people (specifically 48% of respondents) to disclose their mental health difficulties is the potential harm to career prospects
Next up was a provocative article in The Buyer, why mental health and wine can be awkward bedfellows, from wine blogger Mike Turner. Mike rips off the covers and presents a ‘full-frontal’ view on why we need to talk more openly about mental health – he certainly caught the attention of readers as the article quickly became one of The Buyer’s most read in 2017.
Looking further afield, Marthelize Tredoux, has shared her reflections on the unique pressures of working in the South Africa wine industry and how business challenges can trickle down to affect the individual.
There’s also poignant work happening in the hospitality industry. Tim Etherington-Judge is raising the profile of wellbeing through his work at Healthy Hospo and, in Autumn 2018, the team at CODE, one of the leading authorities on the London hospitality industry, will also release industry specific research data and recommendations in their quarterly magazine.
Over in the States, WSET’s Dave Rudman DipWSET shared his three self-care musts for bartenders in a blog for USBG. The organisation has started a ‘Wellness Wednesdays’ initiative whereby they share weekly content to promote practices that contribute to positive well-being. Meanwhile, the extended challenges for bartenders and others in hospitality have also been put under the spotlight by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation.
Substance misuse and addiction is a reality within the industry, and there is an intimate relationship with mental health difficulties. Alcohol and drugs can both be the cause and/or an unhelpful coping strategy for those struggling with their mental health. It’s so common that having both a mental health diagnosis and addiction has been given an official name of Dual Diagnosis.
Perusing the careers pages of some of the big players, diversity and inclusion is becoming a prominent topic too, and one that supports a mentally healthy workplace.
I was personally drawn to this Brown Forman statement: “Inclusion unleashes the power of diversity by creating a culture that empowers all employees to fully express themselves and feel comfortable being who they are while contributing their talents to the business.”
Kat Hounsell leading a mental health workshop with The Benevolent at Bibendum. Photo by Bibendum twitter
How can I keep the conversation moving?
There are everyday opportunities where we can make talking about mental health ordinary.
Next time you ask someone “How are you?” stop, listen, give that person your full attention and dig a little deeper with some follow up questions. If they’re feeling great then, how wonderful, you’ve given them a chance to share it and perhaps their positive energy has infected you too! And if they’re not doing so well, being listened to may have made their day a little brighter and more hopeful.
We can also talk more openly about the everyday actions we take to boost our own wellbeing. There’s no shame in taking a fresh air walk at break time, managing your diary to have quality time with the kids before they go to bed, or saying no to ‘just one more drink’ after a long shift so you can get an extra 30minutes shut eye. Even when you’re faced with a bar 10 people deep, a short pause and deep breath can do wonders for dialling down the ‘fight or flight’ response that’s likely kicked in.
Then there’s the times when you might be feeling concerned about a colleague, friend or family member. Talk to them. It’s ok to not be sure where to start as there isn’t a prescribed "right" or "wrong" way. I recommend keeping three things in mind:
- Be discreet – have the conversation away from others in a relaxed setting
- Be conversational – just be yourself and genuinely caring and curious with questions
- Be observational – share what you’ve seen, “I’ve noticed you’ve been coming in late recently and I wanted to check-in and see how you’re doing?”
As a manager of a team, it is much harder to spot difficulties as you might not spend much time with them, especially if they work from home. However, it is more than worthwhile to bring up the conversation about how they are feeling, rather than just talking about business all the time.
Christo Eliott Lockhart, Sales Manager at Hallgarten & Novum Wines*
How can my organisation keep the conversation moving?
Talking about mental health at work is important. Employers have a duty of care to their people and also it makes sound business sense. The return on investment business case of looking after employee wellbeing is getting stronger year on year.
Within our organisations we can take everyday steps to create a culture of wellbeing and performance. Good policies and procedures act as a compass for what to do and give the message "this is important to us." Quality training then brings these policies to life and builds awareness and skill where it matters.
Mental Health First Aid is an international course that’s grounded in evidence – it’s designed to help reduce stigma, highlight the signs and symptoms of poor mental health, and provide a framework for how to support a colleague.
Most of the time when mental health issues arise we find ourselves to be reacting to those, however we should also be proactive about mental health difficulties, such as getting the conversation well upstream and make sure everyone knows what to do in case of need. We should challenge ourselves on making the conversation about mental health a daily experience instead of an intervention to a problem.
Miles Beale, Chief Executive of the Wine & Spirits Trade Association*
So, whether you’re still reading this because you’re personally passionate about de-stigmatising mental health in the drinks industry, OR you’re in a position to influence your workplace to become more mentally healthy - it’s time to talk about mental health. As it’s only once we’re talking that we can start taking action to help ourselves, our teams, and our industry to thrive.
If you’d to speak to someone about your mental health, or are concerned about someone you know, there are a number of organisations that can help, including:
The Benevolent (UK) 0800 915 4610
Samaritans (UK) 116 123
SAMHSA (USA) 1-800-662-4357
Mental Health Association of Hong Kong (Hong Kong) 852 2772 0047
Beyond Blue (Australia) 1300 22 4636
*Quote from London Wine Fair 2018 seminar
