For a lot of people working in tech, that environment goes with the job. Modern work often doesn’t give people natural opportunities to switch off anymore or really connect with others.
So much of our working life now happens through screens. Conversations happen in Teams chats. Problems arrive through alerts and tickets. Calendars fill up automatically. More tasks and interactions are now handled through AI tools rather than human conversation. Even team collaboration can feel transactional when most interaction happens digitally.
That’s why workplace wellbeing matters more than ever, and why initiatives like Mental Health Awareness Week (11 - 17 May 2026) are so important.
At TIEVA, we don’t pretend to have all the answers. But we do believe supporting people properly has to go beyond surface-level initiatives or awareness posts once a year. That’s one of the reasons we have trained Mental Health First Aiders across the business. So our team has colleagues available who know how to listen, can recognise when somebody might be struggling, and help point them towards the right support if they need it.
It’s also why our partnership with Philips has been such a natural fit. Across many organisations, Philips has been helping raise awareness around workplace wellbeing and encouraging more open conversations about mental health and support. A lot of the initiatives we’ve worked on together have shared a common goal: helping people feel more supported in the reality of modern working life, not just in theory.
To mark Mental Health Awareness Week, we asked some of TIEVA’s Mental Health First Aiders to share their own thoughts, experiences, and practical advice for people working in technology and digitally connected workplaces.
1. Learn How to Properly Switch Off
One of the strongest themes that came up was how important it is to mentally step away from work, particularly in technology roles where it’s easy to stay constantly connected.
Victoria Green put it simply: “Leave your work in your laptop, not your mind.”
For Victoria, switching off means creating deliberate separation between work and personal time, whether that’s yoga, meditation, or simply doing something completely different after the working day ends.
Liam Smith shared a similar view, pointing out that small things often make more difference than people expect. “Take a walk, do some self-care, even something so simple as making a brew in your favourite mug.”
He also spoke about the importance of hobbies that force your brain to focus elsewhere, whether that’s gaming, rock climbing, or anything else that gives your mind a genuine break from work pressures.
2. Pay Attention to the Early Signs
Stress rarely arrives all at once. More often, it builds gradually in the background. For Liam, one of the earliest warning signs is distraction and changes in mood. “I always find my early sign is becoming distracted away from work, or seeing my mood change.”
Recognising those patterns early can make a huge difference. Sometimes the biggest challenge is simply noticing when you’re no longer coping as well as you normally would.
3. Don’t Try to Handle Everything Alone
Every Mental Health First Aider we spoke to came back to the same advice in one form or another: talk to somebody.
Shabir Khan encouraged people not to isolate themselves when things feel difficult. “Don’t try to handle everything alone. Talk to someone you trust, whether that’s a colleague, manager, or support service.”
Victoria also highlighted how much difference a simple conversation can make. “Talking to someone else does really help.” And Liam addressed the stigma that still exists around asking for support: “There has always been a stigma around seeking help, but together we can crush the stigma.”
4. Good Mental Health at Work Isn’t About “Always Being Fine”
One of the more interesting responses was around what good mental health at work actually looks like.
None of the answers focused on being endlessly positive or productive. Instead, people talked about manageable workloads, healthy boundaries, supportive colleagues, and feeling able to speak openly when things become difficult.
Shabir described it as: “Feeling supported, able to speak openly, having a manageable workload, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance.”
While Liam’s answer was perhaps the simplest: “Being happy, healthy and having the desire to achieve things in a day.”
5. Small Habits Matter More Than Big Gestures
A lot of the practical advice shared by the team came back to small habits rather than dramatic changes.
For Victoria, podcasts and books focused on positive thinking and self-development have made a real difference over time. Liam relies on simple structure:
“A To-Do list. It allows you to organise your tasks and celebrate your wins by ticking each one off.”
And for Shabir, something as basic as taking proper breaks and not skipping lunch can have a surprisingly big impact during busy periods
6. Mental Health First Aiders Are There to Listen, Not Judge
One misconception people sometimes have is that reaching out to a Mental Health First Aider needs to be formal or serious. In reality, it’s often just a conversation. Victoria described it as:
“Someone to listen without judgement and support and signpost if needed.”
Whilst Liam describes their approach as “a decent coffee or tea, and a non-judgemental chat.”
That approachability matters. Sometimes people don’t need solutions straight away. They just need space to talk honestly without feeling judged.
7. Be Kind
We finished by asking each of the Mental Health First Aiders what message they’d most like people to take away from Mental Health Awareness Week.
Liam’s answer probably sums it up best:
“You never know what the person next to you is going through, so be there, be present and above all else, be kind.”
Workplace wellbeing isn’t about campaigns or slogans, it's about people noticing each other, supporting each other, and creating environments where nobody feels they have to struggle on their own.