14 July 2026
Understanding Mental Health - The Unseen Assassin
Health and wellbeing specialist Ross Abbott explores an issue that affects everyone at some stage, personally or through someone close to them: mental health.
Awareness campaign
Mental Health Awareness
We have come a long way in talking openly about mental health, but awareness alone does not change how people feel. Our campaign turns it into action: recognising pressure early, in yourself and in others, starting a supportive conversation, and building the everyday habits that protect wellbeing. Ideal for Mental Health Awareness Week in May or World Mental Health Day on 10 October, or at any time of year.
- people in England experience a mental health problem each year
- 1 in 4
- of work-related ill health in the UK is linked to stress, depression or anxiety
- Over 50%
- workers have taken time off for poor mental health caused by stress
- 1 in 5
- working days lost to depression and anxiety worldwide each year
- 12 billion
At your premises
The Mental Health Awareness pop-up stand
- Where
- On site, at your premises
- How long
- Half a day to five days
- Who
- Manned by the Thrive4Life team
Our team runs a welcoming, low-pressure stand where your people can stop for a chat, try a simple technique, and pick up practical resources to take away. Mental health difficulties often build gradually, so the stand focuses on noticing the early changes in sleep, mood, focus or withdrawal, and on knowing what to do next.
What is on the stand
- "Understanding Mental Health and Stress" fact sheet: what mental health is, how stress works, building resilience, and the Seven Pillars of Wellbeing, on a single page.
- Try it now: a quick demonstration of the physiological sigh, a simple breathing technique that calms the body in moments.
- Campaign newsletters and webinar key takeaways, in print and to share digitally.
- Conversation starters: how to check in with a colleague, what to do if they do not want to talk, and how to support someone towards the right help.
- Signposting to your own support, such as an Employee Assistance Programme or Mental Health First Aiders, and to the NHS and trusted mental health charities.
Expert-led talks
Talks and webinars to go with the campaign
Add a live talk, in person or online, or share a recorded webinar for your people to watch whenever suits them. Our mental health talks include:
Understanding Mental Health: The Unseen Assassin
Ross Abbott, Workplace Health and Wellbeing Specialist
How pressure builds quietly, how to recognise the signs in yourself and others, how to check in with someone, and why everyday wellbeing habits matter. Practical, candid and grounded in lived experience.
The Science of Happiness
Kate Busch, Chartered Psychologist
What psychological research tells us about happiness: why connection, kindness and being present are strong predictors of lasting wellbeing, and the small daily habits that help.
Your Mind, Your Health: A Practical Guide to Mental Wellbeing
Veerpal Sandhu
A practical guide to looking after your mental wellbeing day to day, with techniques your people can put to use straight away.
Want lasting support beyond the campaign? Ask us about Mental Health First Aid training and our programme for managing stress and mental health in the workplace.
Key messages
What your people take away
Mental health is not fixed
Mental health is a state of wellbeing that lets us manage stress, work productively and contribute to our communities. Like physical health, it changes over time, and it relies on daily habits, supportive relationships and healthy ways of coping.
The Seven Pillars of Wellbeing
- Sleep
- Nutrition and hydration
- Movement and exercise
- Social connection
- Financial awareness
- Health knowledge
- Mental health skills
Small, regular habits in each area help more than aiming for perfection.
The physiological sigh
One simple, quick way to reduce stress in the moment:
- Inhale slowly through the nose.
- Pause, then take a second, shorter inhale.
- Exhale slowly and fully through the mouth, for longer than both inhales together.
Repeat one to three times.
Campaign resources
Written by Thrive4Life, printed on the stand and shared digitally
Fact sheet · 1 page
Understanding Mental Health and Stress
What mental health is, how stress works, resilience and self-care, the physiological sigh and the Seven Pillars of Wellbeing.
View (PDF)
Key takeaways · 20 pages
Understanding Mental Health: The Unseen Assassin
The main points of Ross Abbott's webinar, from the barriers to talking to how to support someone towards help, as a handout to keep.
View (PDF)
Newsletter · 33 pages
The Power of Action: Turning Mental Health Awareness into Practice
The current picture of mental health at work, and practical strategies for turning awareness into everyday action, at home, at work and in society.
View (PDF)
Newsletter · 14 pages
The Science of Happiness, and Breathe Better
Connection, kindness and presence as the foundations of happiness, and how better breathing helps health, mood and performance. Newsletters can carry your organisation's name, as this one shows.
View (PDF)Promote the campaign
Infographics for your internal channels
Infographics to share on your intranet, in staff emails and on social media, before and during the campaign. We can brand them for your organisation. Select any one to see it full size.
Book the Mental Health Awareness campaign
Run it on its own, or combine it with our other campaigns into one fully managed event. It pairs especially well with Stress Awareness. Tell us when, where and for how long, from half a day to five days, and we will put together a plan and a quote.
Or call 020 8972 9675 · See all our campaigns
