World Mental Health Day 2025: Healing From the Roots
Every year on 10 October, the world stops (or tries to stop) to acknowledge mental health. We share stories, post hashtags, perhaps attend a talk. These are important steps. But at Differently Wellbeing, we believe the conversation needs to go deeper. Because mental health isn’t something that lives only in the mind — it is shaped, undermined, and sustained by the body, our environment, our diet, our financial worries.
This World Mental Health Day, let’s move beyond awareness. Let’s tend to the roots.
When Your Body Speaks, So Must You
Physical pain is often one of the first warnings. A stiff neck, a sore back, joints that ache — all of these are more than discomfort. They cost energy, disrupt sleep, make concentration harder, drag down mood.
That’s why two years ago we introduced physiotherapy & osteopathy sessions into our corporate wellbeing suite. These are more than add-ons. These sessions recognise that when your body is in pain, your mind cannot rest, your emotional resources are already taxed. Whether through ergonomic assessments, one-to-one treatment, advice on movement and posture — when you address the physical, you open up space for mental healing.
What You’re Eating (and Drinking) Matters More Than You Think
Food is fuel — not only for your muscles but for your mood. How often do we reach for coffee or sugary snacks to get through the afternoon, only to find ourselves jittery, crashing, irritable? Hidden stressors in diet — ultra-processed foods, imbalanced macronutrients, dehydration, too much caffeine — all affect the nervous system, cortisol, energy levels.
Our nutrition workshop “Stress: What to Eat When There’s Too Much on Your Plate” (led by Steph) cuts through diet myths. It looks at how to nourish energy, reduce mood swings, and support the body’s stress response. These are skills people can use immediately — simple swaps, small changes that build resilience over time.
Money On Your Mind: The Unspoken Weight
We hear from many employees that financial worries are one of their top stressors. Rent, debt, unexpected expenses — these don’t stay in a spreadsheet. They follow you home, into your sleep, into your concentration.
Our “Money on Your Mind” workshop isn’t about giving financial advice. It’s about education, tools, mindset. Helping teams to feel more confident, less ashamed, less overwhelmed. When people are less worried about money, their mind is freer. Their performance, focus, engagement improve.
Culture: The Soil That Shapes Everything
Imagine growing a plant. Even if you water it, give it sun, you won’t get much if the soil is poor: compacted, lacking nutrients, full of weeds. Workplace culture is like that soil. If trust is low, if values are performative, if people fear speaking up, then stress, resentment, and burnout take root.
Our workshops with culture strategists help leaders see what’s under the surface: toxic dynamics, unspoken norms, power imbalances. They help shift what people believe will be rewarded, what is tolerated, what is truly valued. Because real wellbeing doesn’t come from “nice extras” — it comes from workplaces where people can be their full selves, where psychological safety is real.
What You Can Do This 10 October – And Beyond
If you lead a team, are part of HR, are an individual who cares:
Plan a multi-modal wellbeing event: include physical health (physio/osteo drop-ins), nutrition, financial wellbeing. Mix sessions. Mix formats (short drop-ins, workshops, movement).
Encourage leadership to take part visibly: sharing stories, showing vulnerability, taking a movement break.
Audit your workspace: seating, screen height, lighting, movement opportunities. Schedule stretch breaks.
Review food & drink offerings. Promote healthier options. Reduce reliance on caffeine or highly processed snacks.
Create safe spaces for financial discussion (without shame). Signpost help. Provide financial education.
Commit to ongoing support, not just one-day events.
The Return on Investing in the Root Causes
It might seem like more work. More cost upfront. But the returns are real:
Reduced absenteeism, lost hours, presenteeism
Higher employee retention, lower turnover costs
Improved morale, focus, creativity
Better mental health outcomes: lower stress, anxiety, better sleep
A culture that attracts people — people want workplaces that care for the whole of them
You Can Make a Difference
If you’re reading this and thinking “Yes, this matters for us,” then reach out. Let us help you create a plan for this World Mental Health Day (and beyond) that isn’t just another talk, but a movement. Let’s work together to design a day or a programme that includes physiotherapy or osteopathy, nutrition, financial wellbeing, movement, culture – real tools that support the whole person.
Because when your body is free from pain, when you eat well, when finances are less heavy, when culture is kind — your mind can heal. Your mental health doesn’t start in the brain alone: it starts in everything that supports that brain.
What You Can Do as an Employer, as an Employee
Depending on your role, here are practical steps:
| If you’re an employer / manager / HR / leader | If you’re an employee / individual |
|---|---|
| Audit your workplace: look for physical pain sources (seating, desks, monitor heights, movement breaks) | Notice where your physical discomfort is dragging you down: maybe you need to stretch, you need medical help or ergonomic tools |
| Include wellbeing sessions that aren’t just about “mental health awareness” but include physical health, financial stress, nutrition | Be open about needing support: ask for physio, talk to leadership/line manager about pain or stress |
| Make benefits accessible: subsidised physio/osteo, healthy food provision, financial advice | Adjust your diet, reduce caffeine where it’s affecting your anxiety/mood, plan small financial goals, look after sleep |
| Model healthy behaviour: leaders taking breaks, moving, making time for self-care | Use what’s offered at work, take advantage of wellbeing workshops, commit to small habit changes |