Illustration
Agency: Mere Mortals
Creative Direction, copy: Robbie Greatrex
The theme for World Mental Health Day 2024 is ‘Prioritising mental health in the workplace’. I have created a series of illustrations reflecting a utopian wellbeing workplace as imagined by Mere Mortals. The illustrations were used in a social media campaign and the company's website.
Firstly, and rather unsurprisingly, bringing in pets of all shapes and sizes is to be thoroughly encouraged.
Sure, no self-respecting creative space is complete without a pooch enthusiastically greeting visitors and bossing social media engagement metrics.
It's hardly a surprise. The healing nature of animals is well known. They can improve mental and physical well-being, alleviate stress, depression, and anxiety, improve mood and promote socialisation.
Therefore, we’d vigorously encourage pets of all shapes and sizes, from cats and dogs to snails, sharks and dragons. And they’d all magically get on, of course. It’s our imagination; we set the rules.
Next, we’d fill our office with flora and fauna, plus a giant sunroof would unfurl when the weather allows.
We’re not talking fake grass here. Or tins of paint splashed willy-nilly across the ceiling to spark ‘blue sky thinking’. We’re talking actual Mother Nature at her finest.
Connecting with nature can have many positive effects on mental health, wellbeing, and restoration. It has been shown to increase the ability to conduct focused tasks in the workplace and can improve mood, generating happy emotions like joy, calmness, and creativity.
So, we’re stuffing our office floor to ceiling with the living, breathing world. Think Little Shop of Horrors, on turbo, minus the bloodthirsty alien.
We’d have a magical room in which we could swap shoes and see the world through each other’s eyes.
Swapping shoes sounds icky, right? Not at Mindful Mortals HQ. All footwear in our office would stay forever brand-spanking-new, smelling of nowt but roses.
When individuals feel that their unique perspectives are valued and accepted, when they feel seen and understood, they experience higher self-esteem and emotional resilience. Inclusion and a sense of belonging are vital for mental health and wellbeing at work.
We want to experience the world through each other's eyes. What's more, the greater the diverse perspectives our team draws from, the deeper, more powerful, relevant and effective the work we can create.
Each lunchtime, we’d throw a jovial banquet, complete with legit court jesters, seconded from the 1500s.
Social connection at work is important for mental health because it fosters a sense of belonging, reduces feelings of isolation, and provides support systems that enhance emotional resilience and overall well-being.
So, we’d down tools each lunchtime and pick up the conversation over a full-blown medieval banquet.
Attendance is far from obligatory, of course. If anyone would rather munch sandwiches at their desk or head outside for a walk, that’s fine. There’ll always be a place on a heavy oak bench waiting for them, if and when, they fancy.
We’d tether escape pods to our office, perfect for escaping the hustle and bustle when deep focus is required.
Sometimes, we just want a little ‘me time’ to focus on completing pressing tasks and managing the stresses of looming deadlines and long to-do lists.
Providing environments where employees can focus on their work and manage and balance their emotions effectively helps reduce stress, prevent burnout, and promote overall well-being and productivity.
Our escape pods can be flown anywhere in the universe and are 100% distraction-proof. So, there will be no more unwanted distractions from Deborah in management or Colin from accounts.
And, finally, the whole shebang would be on roller skates; seeking out fresh locations and creative adventures.
Last but not least, our office would be fully mobile on GoGo Gadget roller skates.
Because new experiences can reduce stress and anxiety by providing a sense of novelty and excitement. They can help create new neural pathways in the brain, improving memory and cognitive function. Furthermore, they can redirect focus away from ruminative thoughts and feelings.
So, we’d roam the land, pitching up on beaches, farms, fields, festivals, forests and on top of tall buildings seeking out creative stimulation to boost our brain power and mental wellbeing
All works © 2011-2024 Anastasia Beltyukova