Mental Health Awareness Week: Why Wellbeing Is Built Into Everything We Do

Mental Health Awareness Week | 11–17 May 2026

Construction builds the world around us. Our people build airports, schools, hospitals, and homes, the infrastructure that communities depend on. But behind every beam lifted, every deadline met, and every handover celebrated, there are people. And people need more than a hard hat and a high-vis to thrive.

This Mental Health Awareness Week (11–17 May), the Mental Health Foundation has gone with one word as its theme: Action. Not a grand campaign. Not a strategy document. Action, for yourself, for someone else, for all of us. It’s a framing that feels right for construction. Our industry doesn’t do half-measures on site, and we shouldn’t do them when it comes to mental health either.

This week is a moment to step back from the project plans and talk about something that matters just as much as any programme or budget: the mental wellbeing of every single person at LPL Construction Services.

The Reality of Mental Health in Construction

The statistics are ones our industry cannot afford to ignore. Suicide remains the leading cause of death for men under 35 in the UK, and construction workers are disproportionately affected. Research from the Chartered Institute of Building shows that between 2011 and 2015, more than 1,400 construction workers died by suicide.

The pressures are well known to anyone who has worked in this industry. Long hours. Time away from family. Tight deadlines. Physical demands. Financial uncertainty. A culture that has, for too long, treated asking for help as a sign of weakness rather than strength.

But awareness is growing. And at LPL, we believe that building a healthier industry starts with what we do every single day, on site, in the office, and in the conversations we have with each other.

Our Commitment: People Are at the Heart of What We Do

Safety is one of our six core pillars, and we have always been clear that safety means more than hard hats and risk assessments. It means the safety of the whole person, including what is happening inside their head. It means creating workplaces where our people feel genuinely supported, not just physically protected.

That commitment runs through everything we do. We are dedicated to fostering a work environment that prioritises mental and physical wellness, work-life balance, and professional growth. Our people are not a resource to be managed. They are the reason we deliver exceptional work across healthcare, aviation, education, retail, and beyond. Without them functioning well – really well – none of it happens.

This week, we want to go further than awareness. The Mental Health Foundation’s theme of Action means something specific to us. Because alongside talking about mental health, we want our people to know exactly what is in place to support them, right now, all year round.

What’s Already Here for You

Before we get to the ten practical tips, it is worth pausing on something important. At LPL, support for mental health is not seasonal. It does not exist only during awareness weeks. It is there every day, and here is what is available.

The Lighthouse Club  our industry charity partnership, runs a free, confidential helpline open 24 hours a day, every single day of the year. It is there for you and for your family. Call 0345 605 1956 or text HARDHAT to 85258. If you have never heard of the Lighthouse Club, look them up. They exist specifically for construction workers and their families, and they are one of the best things our industry has produced.

Bespoke counselling, fully funded by LPL. No referral needed, speak to HR in confidence and we will arrange it.

A free 24-hour GP service for all PAYE colleagues. Available whenever you need to speak to a doctor without waiting.

Monthly meditation and mindfulness sessions, led by trained local practitioners.

Nine Mental Health First Aiders across the business. Trained to listen without judgement and to help you find the right next step. You can speak to any of them in confidence, at any time.

You do not have to be in crisis to use any of these. They are for the wobbles as much as the worst days. They are for the 3am nights, the low-grade stress that builds across a long programme, and the moments when you are not quite sure how you are doing but you know something is not right.

Ten Quick Actions to Boost Your Mental Wellbeing

The Mental Health Foundation’s tipsheet this year is a reminder that the things that protect our mental health are mostly small. Their campaign breaks down into three: action for yourself, action for someone else, and action for all of us. Here are ten suggestions that fit into a real working day, even a busy one. These are not soft suggestions. On a demanding site, in a long programme meeting, at the end of a twelve-hour shift, they are the difference between coping and not.

1. Open the Windows Fresh air is free and genuinely powerful. Letting natural light and air into your space, whether that is a site cabin, an office, or your home, can lift your mood quickly and help you feel more connected to the world around you.

2. Try Chair Yoga You do not need a gym mat or a studio. Chair yoga lets you stretch, breathe, and reset stress right where you are sitting. A few minutes during a break can make a meaningful difference to how you feel by the end of a shift.

3. Head Outside Spending time in nature, even briefly, is linked to lower stress levels, improved mood, and better concentration. A short walk, five minutes in a green space, or simply stepping away from a screen can provide real benefit. On site, that brief moment outside the cabin might be exactly what you need.

4. Try a Minute of Mindfulness When stress or anxiety builds, mindfulness can help break the cycle and bring you back into the present moment. You do not need to be an expert or spend a long time on it. One slow, conscious minute of focused breathing can genuinely shift your state. We run monthly sessions if you want to go further, speak to HR.

5. Drink Water It sounds almost too simple. But staying hydrated genuinely helps with concentration, short-term memory, and overall mood. On a busy site or in a back-to-back day of meetings, it is easy to forget. Keep a bottle close by.

6. Phone a Friend Construction can be isolating, long hours, time away from home, and the relentless pace of project work can all chip away at connection. Pick up the phone to someone you care about. A conversation, even a short one, can provide real emotional support and remind you that you are not on your own.

7. Try a Breathing Exercise Deep breathing is one of the most immediately effective tools for stress relief. It activates your body’s natural calm response and can help you reset in the middle of a difficult day. It costs nothing and takes less than five minutes.

8. Create a Relaxing Bedtime Routine Good quality sleep is foundational to mental health. It improves mood, helps your brain function better, and supports your physical health. A simple pre-sleep ritual,  stepping away from your phone, settling down with a book, or making a warm decaffeinated drink, signals to your body that it is time to rest.

9. Practise Gratitude At the end of each day, take a moment to note three things you are grateful for. They do not have to be big. The discipline of noticing what is going well, rather than what is not, is one of the simplest and most effective ways to shift your mental outlook over time.

10. Be Kind to Yourself Perhaps the most important one. If you are finding it hard to cope, try not to beat yourself up. Acknowledge the smaller things you have achieved. Construction demands a great deal from people. You do not have to be at full capacity every single day.

Action for Someone Else

The Mental Health Foundation is clear that this week is not only about what you do for yourself. Action for someone else can be just as small, and just as powerful.

Ask a colleague how they really are. Sit with someone at break. Notice when a person who is usually talkative has gone quiet. Say something. The question “are you alright?” asked twice, with patience is often the most important thing any of us can do this week.

If you are worried about a colleague, our nine Mental Health First Aiders can help you figure out how to start that conversation. You do not have to have the answers. You just need to notice, and then act on what you see.

Action for All of Us

This week, pick one action. Just one. Then maybe pass it on.

Construction is built by people. And people deserve to be cared for with the same precision and attention we give to every project we deliver. Our industry is making progress slowly, but meaningfully and every conversation that happens this week, every colleague who reaches out, every person who picks up the phone to the Lighthouse Club, is part of that change.

Awareness is the start. Action is the work.

For more tips and information, visit mentalhealth.org.uk. The Lighthouse Club helpline is available 24 hours a day on 0345 605 1956, or text HARDHAT to 85258. If you or someone you know is in crisis, the Samaritans are available on 116 123 at any time of day or night.