Blog

Insights, articles and updates on workplace mental health

The Double Standard: Why We Celebrate Celebrities’ Mental Health Journeys but Dismiss Our Own

When a well-known figure speaks publicly about their mental health struggles, the response is often immediate and overwhelmingly positive. They are praised for their bravery, applauded for raising awareness, and held up as an example of what openness looks like. Articles are written, interviews are shared, and social media fills with supportive messages. Now consider […]

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AI and Mental Health at Work: Opportunity, Risk, and the Human Element

Artificial intelligence is reshaping almost every aspect of how we work. Mental health is no exception. From AI-powered chatbots and symptom trackers to virtual therapy platforms and predictive analytics, the technology is creating new possibilities for how organisations support employee wellbeing. But with those possibilities come important questions — about ethics, about effectiveness, and about […]

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The Goldfish Bowl: Why Your Workplace Environment Matters More Than You Think

Imagine a goldfish swimming in a bowl of dirty water. The fish is sluggish, struggling, and clearly unwell. Now ask yourself: do you treat the fish, or do you clean the water? This simple analogy carries a profound message about how we approach mental health in the workplace. Too often, organisations focus on treating the […]

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Your Managers Are Your Mental Health Front Line: Why Training Them Is No Longer Optional

Manager mental health training has moved from a nice-to-have to a business-critical priority, and the latest data makes the case impossible to ignore. Mental Health UK’s Burnout Report 2026 paints a stark picture: nine in ten UK adults experienced high or extreme levels of stress in the past year, one in five workers took time […]

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Supporting Employee Mental Health in Uncertain Times: What Employers Can Do

Economic uncertainty. Organisational restructuring. Global events that shake confidence and stability. In times like these, employee mental health comes under significant pressure — and the role of the employer matters more than ever. The question is not whether employers should support mental health during uncertain periods. That much is clear. The question is how to […]

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Wellbeing Washing: How to Tell If Your Organisation Is Faking It

You have probably heard of greenwashing — companies that market themselves as environmentally responsible without making meaningful changes. Wellbeing washing is the workplace equivalent, and it is becoming increasingly common. Wellbeing washing occurs when organisations promote initiatives or messaging about employee wellbeing without substantial or authentic actions behind them. It is the fruit bowl in […]

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Welcome to the Being Real Blog

At Being Real, we have spent years working alongside organisations to build mentally healthy workplaces. From consultancy and training to helping businesses align with standards such as ISO 45003 and BS 30480, our work has always been rooted in one simple belief: when people are supported to be well at work, everyone benefits. Today, we […]

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BS 30480: The UK’s First British Standard for Suicide Prevention in the Workplace

On 19th November 2025, BS 30480 was officially launched at Speaker’s House in the Palace of Westminster, marking a watershed moment for suicide prevention in the workplace across the UK. As the Chair of BS 30480’s drafting committee, our founder Peter Kelly was interviewed at the event about the significance of this groundbreaking standard and […]

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Why Are We Still Focusing on the Individual When the Problem Might Be the Workplace?

If we are truly facing a mental health crisis — and the evidence suggests we are — then we have to ask ourselves a difficult question: why do we continue to focus almost exclusively on the individual, rather than looking at what might be going wrong with workplace mental health itself? The Individual-First Approach to […]

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Being Real Supports the Launch of the Principles of Mentally Healthy Production

Yesterday marked an important milestone for mental health in the film and television industry, with the official launch of the Principles of Mentally Healthy Production by the Film and Television Charity. Supporting the Principles Across the Industry Being Real Workplace Mental Health Solutions was proud to contribute to the development of these principles, which set […]

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