Mental Health Awareness Week 2025: The Power of Community

It’s Mental Health Awareness Week, and this year, the theme is “community”.

Strong social connections are vital for mental health. As the Mental Health Foundation notes, “being part of a community can make life more meaningful and enjoyable” and even help protect against emotional harm and discrimination. In this blog post, we'll explore what community really means and its value in the fast-paced world of fintech.

Why is community important?

Within a community, you have regular interactions with supportive people, which reduces feelings of loneliness and helps to guard against anxiety and depression. By contrast, long-term isolation is a known risk factor for poor mental health. In fact, studies show that people with strong social networks report less stress and fewer mental health struggles. Feeling a sense of belonging – knowing that you’re part of a supportive group – also literally calms the body: it lowers heart rate and activates brain regions that help us relax under pressure. In short, when we feel connected, we’re naturally more resilient and happier. 

These principles apply in the workplace, too. A recent APA survey found that 94% of workers say it’s important to feel they belong at work, and cultivating connection “makes for happier, healthier, and more productive employees”. In high-pressure industries like finance or fintech, this can be a lifesaver.

Many banking and trading jobs involve long hours and high stakes. One finance manager described brutal 21-hour workdays where “no one was ever alleviating the pressure”. It’s little wonder that mental health suffered: financial firms reported rising stress levels and 15.4 million UK workdays lost to stress, depression, and anxiety in 2018. Indeed, 62% of firms in financial services noted an increase in mental health issues among staff. Most employees agree something must change: one survey found 74% of financial workers say their employer should do more to support wellbeing. 

Community helps address these challenges. In the modern working world, informal social ties at work – the “water cooler” chats and team lunches – have a huge impact. Psychologists point out that even casual coworker interactions boost life satisfaction nearly as much as close friendships. 

Conversely, forced isolation can be harmful. For example, during the pandemic amidst enforced lockdowns, work isolation was linked to spikes in anxiety and depression. And today, one-third of workers still report feeling lonely at work. In finance, where teams may be distributed across cities or constantly trading across time zones, it’s vital to rebuild and maintain these connections. Fostering community at work can reduce stress - people literally feel calmer when they belong, which can increase job satisfaction and even improve retention.

Given these facts, we recommend that financial employers should deliberately work to build community. Research shows that workplaces that emphasise values like trust, kindness and inclusion help employees thrive. For instance, a study in PLOS One found that receiving kindness at work “boost[s] well-being, reduce[s] stress and strengthen[s] institutional identity”. 

The data is clear: employees value empathy. In fact, surveys report workers would even choose a kind, emotionally intelligent boss over higher pay. Likewise, creating a psychologically safe, inclusive culture lets people talk openly about stress and seek help early. Companies that train managers to check in on team members, celebrate diverse backgrounds, and ensure everyone feels “acknowledged” see stronger community bonds. In high-pressure finance roles, that network of support can be the difference between burnout and balance.

How companies can foster community at work

It’s not enough to hope connections will form on their own. Firms should take concrete, active steps to encourage this, such as the following:

• Embed positive values in everyday practice. Leaders can model kindness, trust and teamwork in all interactions. Research shows that even small acts of kindness at work significantly reduce stress. When company values explicitly include collaboration and inclusivity, people feel safe to speak up and support each other.
• Encourage open dialogue and support structures. Create forums where colleagues and managers can talk about challenges without stigma. Mental health training for managers, buddy systems, or regular team check-ins help create a supportive network. As one APA expert puts it, “humans aren’t cut out to be alone”, – hearing that from leadership makes it okay to share struggles. 
• Plan regular bonding activities. Budget for team social events and shared experiences, both fun and skill-building. This could be anything from outdoor retreats to virtual coffee chats. Such activities build both deep friendships and casual connections, which research shows are equally important for well-being. Indeed, 57% of non-executive staff say they want in-office days mainly to collaborate and build camaraderie.
• Offer volunteer days and community projects. Giving teams time to volunteer together strengthens their sense of purpose and belonging. Studies find that 80% of employees believe volunteering is essential to mental well-being. After company volunteer events, 97.5% of participants report a greater feeling of belonging at work. In finance, this can be a double benefit: employees grow their network and soft skills, and firms build goodwill in the wider community.
• Celebrate successes and milestones. Recognising both team achievements and individual contributions fosters pride and inclusivity. Simple practices like shout-outs in meetings, award programs, or gratitude notes reinforce that feeling of “we’re in this together.” Feeling valued by your community boosts morale and helps buffer stress when problems arise.
• Make onboarding warm and community-driven. From day one, help new hires feel part of the team. This might include assigning a mentor “buddy,” holding small welcome lunches (virtual or in-person), and introducing them to interest groups or cross-team mentors. A caring onboarding process signals “you belong here,” which pays dividends in engagement and loyalty.

In sum, for busy bankers, traders and fintech professionals, community at work is more important for their success than they might realise. This is because a supportive workplace network reduces the burden of stress and creates resilience.  It reminds people they are not alone, increases their job satisfaction, and even improves productivity.

As a recruitment firm, we see every day that top candidates look for firms with strong, caring cultures. During this Mental Health Awareness Week and beyond, let’s all remember that building community is good for people and good for business. By embedding kindness, collaboration and inclusivity into daily life at work, financial firms can help their teams thrive – even in the most demanding markets.