We were fortunate to be joined by former Downing Street Director of Strategy Alastair Campbell, for an honest and informative discussion on mental health in the workplace.

As Taylor Wessing's Wellbeing lead, I wanted to share two points Alastair made that really resonated with me. The first was that his mental health was part of who he was, part of what made him special and unique, and being proud of that, and even what contributed to his creativity in his career.

I thought that was such a refreshing way to look at mental health, and an attitude which I felt was very much shared within Taylor Wessing. We are a firm that celebrates individuality and diversity, and the differences between us, including our mental health. These differences, brought together, are what contribute to the special chemistry when we are functioning at our best as a business and a community.

The second was that by opening up about his own struggles, it was a great personal relief, and was in fact welcomed, by employers and other people close to him. We have really come a long way in a fairly short space of time in embracing wellbeing within the firm. We have trained a number of mental health first aiders, we offer yoga and meditation to our people, we hold events and discussions at every level about resilience and preserving our mental wealth, and we mark World Mental Health Day. It is an environment where people should feel no stigma or shyness in being open and vulnerable about how they are feeling and asking for help or a kind ear. I have heard many examples of where we have shared our mental health difficulties with our colleagues, and what a release that has been. As a business we will continue to champion a culture of authenticity and humanity, not just because it is the right thing to do, but also because it will bring us closer and make us more successful.

Our hope is that the discussion with Alastair will continue this effort to increase awareness around mental health, reduce stigma and inspire people either to better support their colleagues or to take a more honest approach to their own experiences.

We would like to use the discussion as a way to build a community with wellbeing leads from across our client and alumni network as well as partner firms. If you would be interested joining the community and continuing the conversation please sign up to our Mental Health and Wellbeing Network below.