We believe in supporting every aspect of health. Yet mental health often goes unnoticed because it’s largely invisible. While conversations around mental wellbeing have become more prevalent in recent years, there’s still more we can do to nurture it. Many of us aren’t fully aware of how we can care for our mind and spirit.
To help our employees focus on this essential part of who they are, we dedicated November to our third annual Mental Health Awareness Month (MHAM) at our site in Brno, Czech Republic.
Throughout the month, we offered a variety of activities designed to help employees relax, strengthen their mental health, and learn practical ways to improve it. These included:
· Wellness spaces and activities: Healthy snacks and a zen zone for breathing exercises and calm reflection.
· Physical activities: Stretching classes, nature walks, trampoline jumping, and, new this year, a laser game for fun and movement.
· Creative outlets: Crafting Christmas wreaths, collaborative painting, and sewing dolls for UNICEF.
We also hosted expert-led sessions with psychologists, both in-person and online, covering topics such as:
· Understanding and managing emotions
· Mental health in the digital era
· Psychosomatics: the mind-body connection
A highlight was the visit from specially trained dogs and their handler, introducing us to Canis Therapy, which promotes healing through the bond between humans and dogs.
This year, we introduced “Sharing is Caring,” a new initiative encouraging openness and connection. Activities included colleagues sharing personal mental health stories, leading a plant re-potting workshop, and facilitating a movie night followed by discussion.
We’re deeply grateful to every member of our team who contributed ideas, led activities, and participated. Together, we honored our mental health, the often invisible part of us that
deserves attention and care. Initiatives like MHAM help us continue to build engagement, living out The Novanta Way in every part of who we are.