Have you ever seen a tin of baked beans on your colleague’s desk and wondered “what’s the story behind that?”

It could just be a tasty topping for their toast at lunch, but there is a chance it could be a much more meaningful piece of desk decoration.

Earlier this month, Vetsure had the pleasure of welcoming David Beeney who delivered captivating session on wellbeing and mental health. After his first visit to Vetsure HQ in December 2023, our now, much larger team were delighted to welcome him back.

A quirk of David’s talk involves handing out tins of baked beans to act as a prompt to encourage more open and honest conversations about our own mental health. It’s estimated that there are now thousands of these tins on office desks across the UK and Ireland, helping to spark more conversions, serving as a reminder to those who have crossed paths with David, that it’s ok not to be ok. So, if you walk past a co-worker’s desk and spot a tin of beans, ask your colleague about them!

It’s estimated that 1 in 4 of us have, or will experience, wellbeing struggles in our lives. But David believes this figure is closer to “1 in 1”, as many individuals find it difficult to open up about their suffering.

After taking steps to improve his own mental health, David’s mission is to “break the silence” around this topic. At Vetsure, we are proud to support David and his vision of creating a workplace culture that prioritises mental wellbeing. We believe that employers play a crucial role in fostering an environment where staff feel safe and encouraged to openly share their experiences without fear of judgment. By promoting open conversations about mental health, we can help break the stigma and ensure that employees feel supported and empowered to seek help when they need it.

Vetsure’s Head of Customer and Culture, Angeline, shared “Although this is the third time I’ve had the pleasure of listening to David, he was as captivating as ever and continues to provide unique insight into managing mental wellbeing within the workplace”.

The whole team expressed their gratitude for David’s honesty and felt like they took away some key learnings to help encourage fellow colleagues to openly and comfortably talk about their mental health.

  • How are you? – When you ask someone how they are, often you will get a response similar to “Good, thanks” or “Yeah, I’m ok”. If it feels appropriate, you could explore taking the time to ask someone this question twice, you are usually met with more honesty about how that individual is really feeling.
  • Noticing Change – There is no rule book for how individuals will act when they are struggling, but a change in their behaviour could be an indication that someone is suffering. If your colleague, who is usually laughing and joking with the team, seems to be more reactive or acts out of their usual character, this could be an indication that something is troubling them.
  • Setting the Tone – By showing vulnerability yourself, you will often encourage others to do the same. 

For 36 years, David struggled in silence with his mental health, fearing judgment, especially from his employer. He believed speaking out would make him seem like a “liability” or “not normal.”

During his time as a presenter, workshop host and one to one coach, David has worked with many large organisations, including the UN, the Ireland Rugby Team and the British Navy. Vetsure are delighted to have welcomed David once again to share his story, promote mental wellbeing and share ways of how we can support one another. 

If you would like to get in touch with David to learn more about this story and his mission, or to enquire about his services, please feel free to get in touch.

Website: https://www.breakingthesilence.co.uk/