We can't really say 2021 was unprecedented. Sadly we have become all too familiar with this alternate way of life over the past two years. The alterations to our lives have been so drastic that there has never been a more critical time to take a step back and evaluate your mental health. 

In this blog, I will be analysing the year 2021, and the effect it has had on our mental health. I will be discussing how the concept of Health and Safety has changed and how it's vitally important that we all take time out for ourselves. 

Looking back

Over the past year, there have been multiple studies regarding the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on our mental health as a society. Maybe most unsurprisingly, in 2020, several UK studies revealed that our emotional health and well being was severely hit between March and May when the first lockdowns occurred. Looking back, we must acknowledge what we as a society overcame. For some, a complete shutdown resulted in birthdays and Christmases spent alone. The effects on our health and well being will take time to truly understand.

2021 started with a big jump in emotional distress. According to a study by the universities of Maynooth and Liverpool, January 2021 began with a 27.1% jump in stress levels. The same report concludes that the general anxiety level of UK society resembles that of the initial first wave and subsequent lockdown. Therefore, society has continually lived through a yo-yo effect of anxiety. 

Astutis has continually supported Mental Health Awareness Day, which takes place on October 10 every year. We should remember to prioritise mental health and well being every day. It is vitally critical to remember our mental health has been affected in unprecedented ways as we move forward. Mental Health Awareness Day is more than a day; it's a movement. Let's all take better care of ourselves moving into the following year. 

MentalHealth.org have a top ten list of how to control your mental health. They advise honest communication, healthy eating and exercise as key drivers to improve mental health. 

We have strived to fight the fight for our mental health. We have introduced a brand new course designed to promote mental health awareness and positively influence it. 

Looking forward

2022 from the outset looks much brighter. Attitudes towards Health and Safety have improved across the board as the world has fought back against COVID-19. With the fight now two years and counting, it wouldn't be too optimistic to presume the health and safety improvements we have all made will remain in the long term, post COVID-19. 

The world has embraced the most strict health and safety protocols to empower hygiene. The long term effects of these sacrifices could be a progressive mentality towards health and safety. We do, after all, need to avoid any repeat of this pandemic. But it goes beyond global catastrophes; the outcome of this pandemic could be a global enhancement of the importance of health and safety moving forward. 

As we look forward, Omicron is firmly in our cross hairs. It could set us back into other lockdowns as we continue to strive out of this restrictive time. We must continue to practice strict health and safety measures as we endeavour to beat COVID-19 once and for all. 

We are all in the fight together. 

Finally, I would like to thank all of our customers over the past year. I am beyond delighted you have joined the Astutis family and are proactively making the world a safer place for all. 

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and a long may that continue into the new year.

Steve Terry, Managing Director, Astutis 

*Astutis have strived to fight the fight for our mental health. We have introduced a brand new course designed to promote mental health awareness and positively influence it. The Astutis Stress and Wellbeing Toolkit has been engineered to provide a comprehensive understanding of mental health.*