Working in Mortgages:
Lunch & Learn
The first Working in Mortgages (WIM) Lunch & Learn session of 2026, held on Blue Monday, Monday 19 January, was a huge success for our WIM initiative. Focusing on burnout, wellbeing and balance in the mortgage sector, the event resonated with professionals across the industry and delivered meaningful insight and support.
Thanks to strong engagement from members and their teams, approximately 400 people attended which is the largest audience ever for a Working in Mortgages Lunch & Learn session! This record-breaking turnout highlights just how important support around mental health and workplace culture has become across the mortgage community.
Lunch & Learn sessions are open to all and are totally free to attend – read on to find out more.
Blue Monday: Walk & Talk
The session provided space to pause, reflect and explore how burnout can affect people in our industry, from long working hours and pressure to perform, to difficulties switching off and maintaining balance after the festive season. Speakers shared practical tools and everyday coping strategies, reinforcing that small, consistent actions can meaningfully support wellbeing in busy roles.
Supporting mental health at work does not require big lifestyle changes. Small actions built into the working day can make a real difference.
- Use quick techniques to reset when pressure builds. Tools such as EFT tapping can be done anywhere in a few minutes and may help calm the nervous system when stress or anxiety rises. It is not a solution to everything but it can help interrupt stress before it escalates.
- Step away from your screen regularly. Even a short walk or a few minutes of fresh air can help reduce mental fatigue during busy days.
- Eat regularly and avoid relying on caffeine alone. Skipping meals and running on adrenaline can increase stress and exhaustion.
- Take short pauses between calls or meetings. A brief moment to breathe or stretch can help prevent pressure building throughout the day.
- Focus on consistency rather than perfection. Five minutes taken regularly is far more effective than an hour that never quite happens.
Supporting Industry Comment
A recent The Intermediary article reinforces the themes from the Lunch & Learn, highlighting how pressures in January, from post-holiday workloads to client and market demands, make wellbeing a live issue for many in the industry. The piece also underlines that while the mortgage sector is resilient and adaptable, individual wellbeing doesn’t automatically follow organisational resilience, and proactive support is essential.
The combined perspectives of the speakers helped attendees understand burnout in context and equip themselves with tools and approaches they can put into practice straight away.
Session Speakers
The session featured insight from a panel of industry and wellbeing experts:
- Jason Berry, Co-Founder, Mortgage Industry Mental Health Charter (MIMHC)
- Esther Barnes, Qualified Hypnotherapist & Mortgage/Protection Adviser, Independent Mortgage Experts
- Alison Painter, Business Development Manager, TSB
- Sabrina Grassler, Senior Policy Adviser at AMI
Working in Mortgages Lunch & Learn
If you were unable to attend live, or would like to revisit the discussion, the full session is available to watch again for free on the Working in Mortgages website.
This page also features previous Lunch & Learn sessions and additional resources to support diversity, inclusion and wellbeing in the workplace. With record attendance and strong engagement, Working in Mortgages continues to build momentum by helping support careers, champion diversity and inclusion, and foster healthier working cultures across the mortgage sector. These sessions are free to attend and anyone can register for future sessions – follow WIM on LinkedIn to stay in the loop.
We encourage all members to watch the session, share it with colleagues, and stay involved as further Lunch & Learn events are announced!
