A new virtual world has been launched to help people express themselves and combat stress in the workplace.
The Rethinkly platform aims to resolve workplace and mental health challenges, leveraging real-world experiences and hoping people can act authentically in the virtual freedom.
Co-founders David Tinker and Andrew Jackson hope the new platform will transform how managers, therapists, life coaches and others can improve wellbeing.
Andrew Jackson said: “Whether work is a grind or a dream job, we spend an average of 13-14 years of our lives doing it.
“Work has a huge impact on our wellbeing which underpins the culture, the relationships, and the way work gets done.
“Ambitious organisations understand their role in actively addressing employee wellbeing and the opportunity for their businesses.
“There is a direct payback both financially as data shows spending £1 will get them £5 back, and in growth by unlocking innovation and creativity
“Consider as well how much organisations spend on health insurance and sick leave payments, versus how much they spend helping employees to communicate better and build better relationships.
“Turning the equation around will help to improve the bottom line. With better communication and more reflection business can expect to see a direct positive impact.”
David and Andrew launched the platform after research from the British Safety Council showed stress, anxiety and depression account for 51% of all work-related health cases.
Rethinkly removes all real-world references creating a neutral, virtual space that is designed to inspire autonomy of expression.
Users create avatars that can express emotion and gestures, enabling detachment from reality to promote reflection and transparent communication.
Built using insight from practitioners, academia and case studies, David and Andrew hope there are less scenarios where people may feel uncomfortable to express their feelings or opinions out loud and instead use the power of imagery and visualisation to aid in solving communication issues worldwide.
The software can either be used under expert direction – which may be appropriate for particularly complex issues including the mental health sector – or people can be taught how to use the software within minutes.
