Succession star fronts ASICS’ new World Mental Health Day campaign
Emmy Award-winning actor Brian Cox is urging employees to take a break at work ahead of World Mental Health Day next month.
ASICS is inviting office workers to join the #DeskBreak movement and share images of their empty desks on social media.
The campaign follows a global study that found a strong link between sedentary behaviour and mental wellbeing, with scores declining significantly as inactivity increased.
Australians inactive for 10 to 12 hours had a score of 45/100, compared to 63/100 for those sedentary for only 4 to 6 hours. The Desk Break experiment showed that just 15 minutes of movement improved mental states by 22.5%, raised scores from 62/100 to 76/100, and reduced stress by 14.7%.
In the video campaign, Cox plays the role of the world’s scariest boss (say, someone like Succession’s Logan Roy) to highlight the silent threat to our mental health – the desk we work at every day.
The PSA calls on office workers to reject so-called ‘wellbeing perks’, such as free fruit and Wellness Wednesdays and instead encourage staff to take a break.
“I’ve played some pretty intimidating characters in my time, but who would have thought a desk could be scarier?” Cox said.
“It’s great to see ASICS try and do something about this and encourage people to support their mental health through exercise. As I say in the film, run, jump, roller skate. I don’t care. Just move for your mind.”
ASICS Oceania’s general manager of people and culture Tara Haubert said: “At ASICS Oceania, the support office team is encouraged to maximise its ongoing Moments That Matter policy, allowing team members to manage their time, priorities and outcomes in a way that suits their individual needs and those of the team around them.
“Some opt for longer lunch breaks, earlier or later starts, or split ‘shifts’ to ensure they incorporate movement into their working days.”
Dr Brendon Stubbs, a leading researcher in exercise and mental health from King’s College London, added: “We have shown previously that just 15 minutes of exercise in leisure time can result in a meaningful improvement in people’s State of Mind scores.
“But what surprised us with the Desk Break experiment was how powerful the 15 minute movement breaks were in improving wellbeing and reducing stress. It even changed people’s perceptions of their workplace for the better.”
World Mental Health Day takes place on October 10.
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