Maintaining our mental health and well-being is the theme of this article, spotting triggers, sharing tips and ideas on how we can support each other during these challenging times.
Whoa…. stop the roller-coaster we want to get off….
There’s no doubt the major impact the pandemic has had on everyone, from social isolation, not being able to be with our family and friends or participate in many of the activities we enjoy, juggling social commitments, the pressures of caring responsibilities and home-schooling, bereavement, physical and mental health issues, maladaptive practices e.g. OCD, increased alcohol consumption, enduring multiple lock-downs, economic and financial challenges and an unrelenting overabundance of information through media channels.
Then on top of these there are the work-related worries; furlough, job security, balancing and blurred boundaries between work and homelife, working from home, productivity concerns, using new technology, remote working, isolation and reduced face-to-face communication and collaboration.
This is why at B2P we have recently qualified as Mental Health First Aiders with MHFA England, to equip ourselves with the skills and confidence to spot the triggers and signs of issues in the workplace and provide support and sign-posting, please call us if you would like to discuss this further.
How has this affected the UK population?
Research from the UK Office for National Statistics:
- Revealed 42% of adults have reported high levels of anxiety, with 70% indicating they were less happy or unsatisfied with their lives overall. [Source: CIPD].
- Reports depression rates doubling since the pandemic began and forewarns of a mental health crisis in the UK. [Source: ONS May 2021]
- NHS Digital report that mental health problems now account for almost 4 out of 10 Fit Notes issued by GP’s.
- Pandemic-related restrictions have had a negative impact on physical, psychological well-being and social connection, particularly in relation to self-isolation and job or financial insecurity. [Source: CIPD Survey 2020].
- Mental health charity MIND:
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- Stating ‘this has all had a catastrophic effect on employee’s well-being’ and warning that this could result in a ‘second pandemic’ of mental ill-health.
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- Half of adults and two-thirds of young people (aged 18-24) said their mental health has deteriorated during the period of lock-down restrictions.
- The Sue Ryder Foundation (British palliative neurological and bereavement charity, supporting bereaved employees) estimating that 24% of UK workers have experienced a bereavement in the past 12 months.
Remote working and virtual activities have become more frequent and communicating with our work colleagues and other business associates…all from our living room and often in our slippers! What is becoming increasingly clear is that it is unlikely our existing ‘tried and tested’ ways of working can be ‘shoe-horned’ into this new landscape.
We will all need to be more creative, open and willing to adapt existing processes, approaches and behaviours to the ‘new normal’ – the last thing we all need after this journey is ‘ground-hog day’…..!
‘Maintaining our mental health and well-being’ is the overarching theme of this article, spotting the triggers and signs of mental health issues, sharing tips and ideas and sign-posts on how we can continue to support each other during these difficult and challenging times.
Let’s start at the beginning – what are the different classifications and types of mental health conditions?
- Depression:
- Different types of depression: bipolar disorder, perinatal depression.
- Signs, symptoms, effects, risk factors and warning signs.
- Substance Misuse:
- Alcohol, drugs, tobacco and caffeine.
- Anxiety Disorders:
- Panic, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, self-harm.
- Eating Disorders:
- Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder.
- Personality Disorders:
- Difficulty relating to others, cold, detached, paranoia, narcissistic, emotionally unstable, panic attacks, impulses to self-harm.
- Suicide:
- First aid for suicidal crisis and how to assess if a person may be in a suicidal crisis.
- Psychotic Disorders:
- Schizophrenia, hallucinations, bipolar disorder, psychotic depression, postpartum psychosis.
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Each of these conditions are influenced and can be triggered by an in-balance between our mental, physical and social health.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines this as ‘the health triangle’ and having a good balance in all 3 areas is essential to living a healthy lifestyle. When the balance between them tips, problems develop. This includes how we cope/react, our behaviours, how we think, feel and see ourselves.
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What is essential is that we ‘treat each person as an individual’
Spotting signs and symptoms in the workplace
As everyone needs to be treated as an individual, the signs and symptoms that you may observe in your colleagues will differ from one person to another, the list below are some common examples that you may observe or recognise in others, or yourself:
| Signs and Symptoms | |
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Having spotted the signs and symptoms – how can we help?
Mental Health First Aid England (MHFA) advocates that the aim of ‘mental health first aid’ is to ‘preserve life, prevent further harm, promote recovery and give comfort’ by applying the following 5 basic steps:
Approach the person, assess and assist them
Listen and communicate non-judgementally
Give support and information
Encourage the person to get appropriate professional help
Encourage others to support
Let’s look at each of these in turn….
Approach the person, assess and assist them
It’s estimated we spend a whopping 60% of our waking hours at work!
As we’ve all learnt recently…an increase in remote working has brought its challenges…. reducing our opportunities of bumping into someone in the corridor, having an impromptu chat or arranging an unscheduled meeting, to be replaced by structure, diaries, video meetings and telephone calls…which for some of us has been a positive but for others represents a genuine challenge.
One positive thing that has emerged is that we have gained an appreciation and understanding of the importance of human and social connections …..and dare we say it ‘hugs’. Whilst we’re not advocating the later in the workplace (for obvious reasons…) could it be that we now have a greater appreciation of our work colleagues, viewing them in a different light – perhaps in a similar way to the way we view our friends?
Friends, outside of family bonds, can be our greatest comfort and allies, they are people who like us in spite of our faults and who listen to us and tell us the truth. Friends support our decisions and tell us when we’re foolish. They laugh with us and share our grief. They are companions and share our interests. They argue with us and stimulate our minds. They are people we aren’t afraid of telling our secret wishes to, or what is really on our minds. [Source: Relaxation Expert]
It’s all about spending time with others – those you know and work with – or better still…. those you don’t know quite so well – get to know new colleagues and teams!
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How can friendship and camaraderie in the workplace help?
This does not need to be a group of friends but often camaraderie is a stepping-stone to a great friendship.” [Source: Urban dictionary] |
Studies show that maintaining positive relationships should rank up there with healthy eating and exercise, as a necessary investment in your health. Here are some of the findings:
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What can friendship do?
What can laughter do?
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Listen and communicate non-judgmentally
Often words that we hear trigger reactions in our own minds, which means we have switched-off to what the person is saying and following our own train of thought. Acceptance is about respecting the person’s feelings, experiences and values, even though these may be different from our own. Non-judgmental listening is about adopting a set of attitudes – so that we don’t judge or criticise them because of our own attitudes or beliefs – and communication skills (verbal and non-verbal). Enable the person to talk freely and comfortably about their problems without feeling that they are being judged.
Be empathetic which is the ability to ‘place yourself in the other persons shoes’ and to demonstrate to the person that you truly hear and understand what they are saying and feeling. It is not ‘sympathy’ which is about feeling sorry for the person. [Source: MHFA England]
5 Top Tips for Effective Listening
- Pay attention: Be attentive, look at the other person, keep eye contact comfortable (do not stare or avoid eye contact) put aside distracting thoughts or preparing your next response.
- Show you are listening using body language: Nodding, ‘yes’, ‘ah hah’, note your posture, make sure it is open and relaxed. Listen to the other persons words, tone of voice and look at their body language, this will give clues to how they are feeling.
- Actively contribute: Paraphrase, ask appropriate questions to make sure you and the other person are clear on what is being said. Summarise facts and feelings.
- Do not interrupt: It can frustrate the other person, break their train of thought, stop the conversation flow or rapport between you. Use minimal prompts such as ‘mmm’, ‘ahh’ or ‘I see’ may be all that is necessary to keep the conversation going. It’s OK to have a long pause, the other person may simply be thinking.
- Respond appropriately: Show the other person respect and understanding, you are gathering information, be open and honest in your responses.
Give support and information
Once you have listened to the other person and given them a chance to express the difficulties they are experiencing you can begin to discuss options that may be available to help them. Having listened to them will allow you to have a better understanding of what support or information could be helpful to them.
REMEMBER: It is essential that we ‘treat each person as an individual’.
Everyone’s situation and needs are unique and it is important to respect the persons rights to make their own choices and able to make decisions for themselves. Ask the person if they would like any practical assistance with tasks but be careful not to take over and try to solve all their problems as this can make it hard for them to feel empowered and make changes to improve their situation.
It is important to be genuinely caring and you should be empathetic and compassionate. Offer emotional support and hope of a more positive future in whatever form the person will accept.
[Source: MHFA England]
Encourage others to support
Encourage the person to consider other supports available to them such as family, friends, support groups, or available company benefits such as ‘employee wellbeing programmes’. People who feel supported by those around them recover faster and some people find it helpful to meet other people who have had similar experiences.
Many people experiencing mental health issues can help themselves and are keen to do so. As well as being helpful in their own right, self-help strategies can also enable people to feel they are regaining control of their lives and doing something positive for themselves.
It can be helpful for the person to create an individual plan that makes a note of all the self-help strategies they may find beneficial.
[Source: MHFA England]
Self help materials can come in many different forms including books/leaflets, self-help groups, computerised packages and Apps.
Some people choose to use ‘complementary therapies’ these could include:
- Acupuncture
- Massage therapy
- Yoga, relaxation therapy
- Ensuring good nutrition
- Exercise
- Creativity e.g. writing, drawing/paint, engaging with music
- Mindfulness…
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Is Jiminy Cricket on your shoulder….?
It’s quite the buzz word at the moment ‘MINDFULNESS’ but what does it actually mean? |
| Wikipedia translation: “The psychological process of bringing one’s attention to the internal and external experiences occurring in the present moment, which can be developed through the practice of meditation and other training”.In essence it is the bringing together of mind and body experiences through training involving sitting quietly and paying attention to your thoughts, sounds and breathing – bringing your attention back when your mind starts to wander, which it is claimed enables people to change the way they think and feel about experiences. Mental exercise if you like!
Growing in popularity companies such as Google, Apple, Sony and Ikea have adopted mindfulness mediation as part of their employee packages and claim it has improved engagement, increased productivity and reduced sickness absence. Studies of mindfulness linked with well-being and general health, indicate that rumination & worrying about things can contribute to mental illness such as depression and anxiety, with ‘mindfulness’ interventions being effective in reducing rumination and worry. [Source: Guardian] But it’s not all positive reading…. with other parties claiming that it has led to inducing negative experiences for some individuals such as paranoia, confusion and depression…. So, in essence it’s all about thinking about how we can help ourselves to deal with issues when they become problems. So how could this translate into the workplace? Let’s think about familiar negative issues that occur in the workplace, sometimes they relate to commercial, financial or technological problems but more often than not they relate to people, our colleagues, leadership styles and team issues. The way that we deal and react to problems will obviously influence the outcome e.g., if we encounter negativity/difficulty how would we normally react? Become angry, defensive, disappointed, run away, or disengage from the situation? Mindfulness is about building your own resilience, kindness and compassion, stopping that ‘immediate reaction or judgement’, taking time to consider responses, looking at the situation from different perspectives – perhaps discussing different options with colleagues. Similar to coaching it gives you time to consider your choices, options, what is most important, what do you care about? With research indicating it can also significantly improve decision-making and reduce stress (something we all want in our workplace). Whether you decide mindfulness is for you or not – exercising your brain, pushing boundaries, showing kindness and compassion, getting off the merry-go-round or switching off the voices in your head occasionally, must be a healthy thing for us all to consider doing from time to time? |
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For more information visit the Headspace App: based around teaching mindfulness, meditation principles to improve wellbeing. Website: www.headspace.com
Fancy doing something different? Some other ideas….
Our favorite bear is back with the live appeal show on the BBC on 12th November. With last year’s enormous effort raising £57m! 
This year the theme is ‘together we can change young lives’!! What does this mean? Well it’s all in your own personal interpretation ‘What can you do to make changes – and doing it!!
For more information on the appeal, how you can join in, support with ideas and fundraising tools visit: https://www.bbcchildreninneed.co.uk/
We were intrigued by this and asked a selection of people what they might do in their workplace to support this event – hold on to your hats…and H&S regulations.. here are some of their responses……
- Pyjama day
- Only eating yellow food on the 12th
- Directors serving lunch
- Cycle meeting
- Team bowling competition
- Wearing your hobby footwear to work
- Sponsored dog walk/bring pets to workday
- Extreme sports! Bungee, fire walk and parachute jump
- Local community tree planting/garden day
- Painting/photography competition
- Halloween Pumpkin competition
- Hide-and-seek/treasure hunt
- No mobile day…with a fine for using
- Choose what your boss wears to workday!
Encourage the person to get appropriate professional help
Ask the person if they need help to manage how they are feeling. If they feel they do need help, discuss options they have for seeking help and encourage them to use them. It is important to encourage the person to get appropriate professional help and effective treatment as soon as possible.
[Source: MHFA England]
It is important to remember to respect the persons rights to make their own choices and decisions for themselves. The person may not wish to seek professional help for a variety of reasons e.g. concerns about the cost of the service, having to wait for treatment, not having a doctor they like, or worries that they will be sent to hospital. In such instances and where appropriate you may wish to offer to help them seek assistance but importantly let them know if they change their mind in the future they can contact you.
The following are examples of available resources and helplines providing support:
| Name | Description | Link |
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| Get Self Help: | Website offering free cognitive behavioral based self-help and therapy resources, including worksheets and self-help mp3s. | www.getselfhelp.co.uk |
| Happyhealthy: | Health app linking brief daily reflection exercises to allow people to make more mindful decisions about lifestyle, exercise, nutrition and sleep to manage mental wellbeing. | www.happyhealthyapp.com |
| Headspace: | App based around teaching mindfulness, meditation principles to improve wellbeing. | www.headspace.com |
| Wellbeing Podcasts: | The Mental Health Foundation has created a series of free audio podcasts to improve wellbeing, including guided relaxation, mindfulness practise and overcoming fear and anxiety. | www.mentalhealth.org.uk/podcasts-and-videos |
| Every Mind Matters website: | For advice and practical steps you can take to support your wellbeing and manage your mental health. You can also access the Hub of Hope (https://www.hubofhope.co.uk) which tells you about support available in your area by entering your postcode. | https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters https://www.hubofhope.co.uk |
| Lets Talk Loneliness: | As restrictions ease, many people will still feel lonely and isolated so it will be more important than ever to take action if you or someone you know is feeling lonely, for access advice and support visit: | https://letstalkloneliness.co.uk/ |
| BBC HeadRoom: | Everyday tips, inspiring personal stories, music, escape and relax and much much more. | BBC HeadRoom |
| Samaritans: | Providing emotional and crisis support for everyone affected by mental health. Phone: 116 123 (Freephone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week) |
https://www.samaritans.org/ |
| Mind Infoline: | Provides information on types of mental health issues, where to get help, medication and alternative treatments but cannot provide emotional or crisis support. | Phone: 0300 123 3393 |
| British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy Register: | Maintains a searchable register of accredited counsellors and psychotherapists and information on different types of therapy available. | Phone: 01455 883300 |
| Alcoholics Anonymous: | Runs self-help groups across the UK for anyone affected by alcohol use. | Phone: 0800 9177 650 |
| Narcotics Anonymous UK: | Runs self-help groups across the UK for anyone affected by drug use. | Phone: 0300 999 1212 |
| Anxiety UK: | National charity run by people with lived experience of anxiety, aiming to support everyone affected by anxiety through information, support, talking therapies and self-help groups. | Phone: 08444 775 774 |
| Cruse Bereavement Care: | Offers support, advice and information to children, young people and adults when someone dies. They run a helpline as well as bereavement counselling and self-help groups across the country. | Phone: 0808 808 1677 |
| Carers UK: | Aims to make life better for carers by providing advice on a range of issues, including financial and practical matters, running an online per support community of carers across the UK. | Phone: 08008 808 7777 |
| Victim Support: | Independent charity working to support people affected by crime or traumatic events. Confidential free helpline as well as emotional and practical support, including advice on reporting a crime and processes involved in going to court and what happens during the trial. | Phone: 0808 1689 111 (Freephone 8am – 8pm Monday-Friday, Weekends 24 hours) |
| ABC (Anorexia and Bulimia Care): | Proves ongoing care, emotional support and practical guidance for anyone affected by eating disorders, includes nutritional guidance/ support and befriending services. | Phone: 0300 011 1213 |
| Relate: | National charity offering a range of services to help with couple and family relationships, including counselling support and therapy focussing on relationship issues. | Phone: 0300 100 1234 |
| Silver Line: | Free confidential helpline providing information, friendship and support to older people. Open 24 hours per day, every day. | Phone: 0800 470 8090 |
| Alzheimer’s Society: | Provides a range of information and support services for anyone affected by dementia. | Phone: 0300 222 1122 |
