In this article, we will explain some of the reasons why employees should return to the office, suggest some advice on how to encourage your workforce to return to non-remote work, and provide tips for employees heading back to the office to ensure a smooth transition.

Why Should Employees Return to the Office?

Although there were a myriad of studies released during the coronavirus pandemic that sang the praises of remote or hybrid work, suggesting that this form of working created happier, more productive employees, newer research from today’s post-pandemic world is starting to demonstrate that the opposite may actually be true. 

Whilst immediate results of changing to a more remote form of working may have seemed positive, we’re now starting to see the more long-term effects which paint an altogether different picture. To get a glimpse of how employees felt about home-working during the pandemic, read our article on the challenges and benefits of working from home, here.

Does Working from Home Decrease Productivity?

As we’ve had time to collect and monitor data from employees working from home over the past few years, more accurate insights into their productivity are now coming forth, and these show some interesting results. 

One example of this is a working paper published by two doctoral students from Harvard who, during 2020, found an 8% increase in the number of calls handled per hour by employees of an online retailer that had made the move to home working. Upon revising their study with more precise data in 2023, however, they found that this initial increase had actually become a 4% decline in productivity, with fewer calls being answered than in the office as well as lower quality interactions. So, what factors of remote working contribute most to this loss in productivity? 

Less Efficient Communication

We’ve all gotten used to dealing with the complexities of virtual meetings, and whilst it can seem nice to interact with colleagues among their pets and plants, with their favourite mug in hand, there’s no denying that speaking through a screen and at the mercy of your internet connection has its difficulties. 

Remote work strips colleague communication of the subtle non-verbal cues and natural flow of discussion that makes up the bulk of normal conversation. In fact, inevitable time lags and the inability to hear multiple people talk at once on virtual calls, makes truly effective collaboration nigh on impossible.

Difficulty Building and Maintaining Professional Relationships 

As well as decreasing the efficiency of communication, home working removes any spontaneity from workplace conversations. Whereas in an office it’s common to overhear and jump into conversations on impulse, remote conversations are mainly meticulously planned and are invite only. This makes it difficult to build solid professional relationships, as communication with employees outside of your team becomes sporadic if not scheduled in. Additionally, online meetings with strict agendas restrict the personal aspects of conversation that can help to build and strengthen workplace relationships. 

Inhibition of Innovation

Whilst online work inhibits relationship-building, it can prevent employees from being truly innovative. This is due to a restriction in focus, a key element of innovation. Constant work notifications, such as messages on slack, and distractions from family at home can make it hard to truly focus on one task and get the creative juices flowing. Without innovation, however, employees can feel like they’re running in circles and lacking in motivation. 

Decrease in Mental Health

The common consensus is that remote working has improved mental health by restoring workers’ work-life balance and giving employees more time to get outside, spend time with family, and exercise. In many cases, however, this may not be the reality. To start with, blurring the lines between work and home can make it difficult for many employees to ‘switch-off’. This lack of boundaries has been found to increase stress in home workers, with one study finding that 41% of remote workers felt stressed compared to only 25% of those continuing to work from an office.

Furthermore, it can be isolating to work from home in comparison to an office filled with people to communicate and connect with daily. As a result, remote working can increase feelings of loneliness, which can considerably impact mental health. 

Slower Development 

It’s generally agreed that regular feedback and advice is essential for growth and development, but home-workers are shown to receive significantly less feedback than those in offices. As a result, those working remotely are likely to progress in their professional development far slower. 

One recent study found that remote workers spend 25% less time on career development than their office counterparts. It’s also been noted that many skills, particularly soft skills such as leadership, are mainly learnt through observation. With home-workers being isolated from their colleagues, they’re less able to learn from their peers. 

How to Encourage Employees to Return to the Office

Although there are disadvantages to remote working, 82% of people say that they prefer working from home to going back to the office. Therefore, it’s evident that employees may need to be provided with motivation to return. 

Ultimately, many workers are reluctant to return to the office as they’re worried it’ll mean giving up the perks of remote working. Encouraging employees to return to the office is therefore mainly a case of outlining the benefits of an office environment, and adapting your workplace so that it proves a worthy rival to people’s own homes. 

Communicate Clearly and Honestly

Firstly, it’s essential to clearly communicate why you’d like employees to return to the office. Transparency is key to employee engagement, and therefore being totally honest about your reasons for making this change is likely to receive the best response. 

Use Factual Evidence and Statistics

As the quote goes, ‘you can’t argue with facts’. Using hard evidence for asking employees to return to the office will strengthen your case, particularly if some of your statistics are taken from your employees themselves; Why not create a survey for employees to complete and use the results in your line of reasoning. 

For example, being able to firmly declare that ‘X% of our team has shared that they feel lonely at home’, or that ‘X% of our team find collaboration easier in the office’ makes a compelling argument for returning to non-remote work. Including your employees’ own opinions within your decision will also help them to feel involved, rather than merely instructed. To find other methods of effectively motivating your team, read our article here.

Introduce New Benefits

Understandably, employees may be reluctant to give up the benefits of home-working without receiving any compensation or alternative advantages. Introducing new benefits such as a transportation or child care stipend may help to make office work more manageable for those who have gotten used to saving money in these areas by working from home. 

Additionally, creating new ways to make the office more enticing, such as social events, provided lunches or pet-friendly areas, may incentivise more workers to swap the perks of home-work for those of being in the office. Introducing regular team-building activities will help to strengthen bonds within teams and help to create a company culture that your employees want to experience in-person daily. You can find some ideas for team building activities which could help to incentivise employees in our article, here.

Optimise Your Office Space 

Returning to working in a closed office cubicle isn’t going to be an exciting prospect for anyone. Instead, to encourage employees to return to the office, it’s a good idea to ensure it’s an inviting space that people want to be in. 

Consider redesigning your office to maximise both productivity and fun. One idea is to separate your office into different areas designed specifically for various activities. For example, having designated deep-work sections, huddle areas, standing desks, social areas including games and comfy seating, and more. 

Create a Hybrid Work Schedule 

Asking every employee to immediately return to the office full time may be a difficult transition for many. Instead, try to phase in a return to the office and offer structured flexibility for those that need it. 

You could try a hot-desking system where employees sign up to work in the office on certain days, can book office space, and see which other employees will also be in the office at the same time as them. This encourages teams to coordinate their office time to get the benefits of collaboration and team-building on office days, whilst also reaping the benefits of sometimes still working from home.

Tips for Returning to the Office

It’s important to remember that returning to the office will seem like a big change for some, particularly as some newer employees may never have worked in an office environment before. With this in mind, here are a few tips for ensuring everyone is prepared to return to the workplace and are comfortable when doing so. 

Ease into the New Routine

Having to commute to an office involves more time management and preparation than having your workspace within your home. As such, it’s important to consider the extra time it will take to commute to work once you return to the office and slowly adapt to waking up earlier so that it’s not a shock to the system when you have to suddenly factor that extra time into your day. 

Additionally, it’s important to think about mealtimes at the office, as you may not have a full kitchen and your favourite ingredients readily available there as you would at home. It may be wise to plan what you will pack for your lunches and do some food preparation at the start of the week to avoid this becoming an added stress in your day.

Decorate Your Workspace

It’s easier to work in a space that you feel comfortable in, so don’t be shy in decorating your desk within the office to really make it your own. Bringing in a few home comforts such as plants and photos can help to make your workspace feel more joyous and motivational, and make the transition between working from home and at the office less of a leap.

Take Enough Rest Breaks

It can feel intimidating to take regular breaks whilst working in an office, as you’re constantly surrounded by other people who seem hard at work. But taking frequent breaks to relax and stretch your legs is just as vital in the office as it is at home, if not more so. 

To learn more about the importance of rest breaks and the regulations surrounding them in the workplace, read our article here. For employers, it’s essential to ensure that the office break room has everything that employees will need, such as comfortable seating and facilities to make drinks or snacks. 

Learn Methods to Help Manage Stress and Anxiety

Change is always scary, and therefore making the move back into the workplace from home-working may create or compound feelings of stress and anxiety. Although these feelings may seem overwhelming or unmanageable, there are a number of methods you can try to help deal with these emotions and avoid them from impacting your daily life. 

Want to Learn More?

To discover some suggested ways of dealing with difficult emotions, read our articles on coping with stress or anxiety at work. Additionally, you can discover more ways to promote positive mental health in the workplace, here.

One of the major downsides of remote working is that it restricts effective communication. If you’re making a return to office work, now is your chance to make the most of being able to discuss things face to face with your colleagues at any time. Getting to know the other employees in your company and widening your network of support will only enrich your working experience, make coming to work more enjoyable, and provide further opportunities for growth and development. 

If you have any concerns about returning to the office or have any suggestions for how to improve the workspace, you should voice these to the relevant person so that they can get resolved as soon as possible. 

There are many merits of working from an office that, if we’re being honest, just can’t be properly replicated when working remotely. As such, it’s time to start thinking about encouraging employees to return to the office. It’s important to do this correctly though, and ensure that employees are motivated and can benefit from this change. Remember, an immediate return to office-work full time may be infeasible for some, so consider taking a soft approach such as implementing hybrid or flexible working schemes. 

Further Resources:

• Weekly Working From Home Structure: Free Schedule Template
• Health & Safety For Home Workers
• Business Essentials Courses

The post How to Get Employees Excited About Returning to the Office appeared first on The Hub | High Speed Training.

The cost of presenteeism is high, as not only does it cause productivity to drop, costing employers money, but it also adversely impacts workplace morale, health and safety and the wellbeing of employees. 

In this article we’ll cover what presenteeism is and what can cause it, as well as the financial and human costs it creates. We’ll also explain some of the things you can do to reduce presenteeism in your organisation.

What is Presenteeism?

Presenteeism is defined as reduced productivity at work due to health problems. It occurs when someone attends work despite being either physically or mentally unwell. Although, in most cases, they will be trying to work as hard as usual, their productivity and quality of work suffers because of how they’re feeling. 

This creates a ‘productivity gap’ between how productive they would usually be and what they can achieve while unwell. Presenteeism is costly for employers who are paying the same amount for lower quality or less work, as well as harmful to the person doing it and potentially those around them. 

Identifying and measuring presenteeism is challenging. Employers may not recognise that it’s happening because employees still show up to work and may hide any symptoms of being unwell. Or, they may not know what presenteeism is or be inclined to ignore it, thinking that the more their employees work, the better.

However, you can measure the impact of presenteeism on employee productivity using the Stanford Presenteeism Scale.

Presenteeism in Remote Workers

The increase in hybrid and remote working has made identifying presenteeism more difficult. Many peoples’ homes have become their workspace and, while working from home can offer freedom and flexibility, it can also cause the line between work and life to blur. 

This can mean that some remote workers struggle to ‘switch off’ and will work from home when they wouldn’t have gone to work otherwise. For example, if a remote worker is unwell, they may be more likely than a non-remote worker to still attend work as they don’t have to leave the house and won’t infect other people. 

There’s also less risk of their coworkers or managers realising they’re unwell or working at a reduced capacity when they’re only communicating through screens. They may even feel more obligated to attend work while sick because of the flexibility remote working affords them and this is just one of the reasons why presenteeism is on the rise.

Presenteeism Vs Absenteeism

While presenteeism involves an employee attending work when they shouldn’t because they are unwell, absenteeism is the opposite and occurs when an employee repeatedly does not come to work, without good reason. 

It may come as a surprise, but presenteeism is actually a bigger drain on workplace productivity than absenteeism. This is because people who take time off work can rest and recover, while those who attend work unwell can prolong their illness and, in turn, the time they spend in the productivity gap. The overall cost of presenteeism can end up being more than if they had just taken a day off. 

Leavisim is another workplace occurrence that drains productivity. This is when employees use their annual leave either to recover from sickness instead of taking a sick day, or to catch up on work at home. 

You may think that leaveism would benefit employers by increasing the hours employees work, without increasing pay. In actual fact, like presenteeism, leaveism stops employees from taking a well-needed break from work which can reduce their overall productivity and eventually result in burnout or brownout.

Burnout is where a person becomes completely overwhelmed, primarily by overworking or work-related stress, and has a physical or mental collapse. It can result from presenteeism.

Brownout is a form of presenteeism where a person comes to work but is tired, withdrawn, disinterested and discontent with their role or workplace, leading to reduced motivation and unproductiveness. You can learn about managing stress at work here. 

These phenomena are all detrimental to workplace productivity and all stem from flaws in an organisation’s culture and policies. 

Causes of Presenteeism

Presenteeism can happen in any kind of workplace but is more common in offices rather than settings that measure productivity based on physical acts, such as a construction site.

Presenteeism is also common among workers who feel responsible for others in their role, such as health or social care workers. However, there are lots of other factors involved in why someone might choose to come into work while unwell, including: 

• A lack of job security and/ or fear or seeming dispensable. 
• Fear of being reprimanded or perceived as not working hard enough. 
• Worrying they have taken too much time off already. 
• Feeling obligated to work remotely.
• Being unable to afford a sick day and/or a lack of paid sick leave. 
• Thinking they are the only person who can perform their role in a company or that others will be impacted if they are absent, particularly if there are staff shortages.
• Not wanting to miss a deadline or having a heavy workload. 
• Company loyalty and desire to be reliable. 
• Perceived pressure from management. 
• Unwillingness to disclose the reason for absence or feeling it isn’t ‘good enough’, for example, worrying that disclosing a mental health condition will lead to stigma or lose them opportunities. 

Effects of Presenteeism in the Workplace

Whilst presenteeism can cause your business to lose money and valuable working days, the real cost of presenteeism is a more human one. Alongside the impact it has on the UK economy, presenteeism also causes the following problems:

• An unhealthy workplace – if an employee comes to work with a contagious illness, they can easily pass this illness on to the people they work with, causing them to become unwell, too. This can lead to increased absence rates and even more presenteeism. 
• Employee’s aren’t able to recover – if an employee repeatedly comes into work while unwell, particularly if they are suffering from a mental health issue, they won’t get the time they need to rest and recover which could prolong or worsen their illness. If they are unable to work at their usual capacity or quality they may miss targets or deadlines which can cause a great deal of stress. 
• Lower workplace morale – working alongside a team-mate who is unmotivated, unhappy or disinterested can be an emotional drain on all members of the team and affect relationships. This can negatively impact morale and the workplace atmosphere, reducing motivation and productivity all round.
• Unsafe working – employees who come to work while unwell are more likely to have and/or cause workplace accidents as they are less focussed on performing tasks properly and safely. This puts both them and others at risk. 
• Lack of progress – presenteeism can cause a lack of personal and professional progress. If people aren’t giving tasks their full commitment then they’re unlikely to develop their skills and, if they’re not feeling great, may be less interested in developing themselves. What’s more, a lack of progress can cause roadblocks for other colleagues who may be waiting for the sick employee to get back to full health before assigning them tasks or waiting for them to get on top of their to-do list. 
• Reduced quality of work – even if someone is producing the same quantity of work while unwell, it’s likely that the quality will suffer and they may make mistakes that cost time and money. This can have a ripple effect, impacting other people’s work if they are relying on this person or working as a team.

Need a Course?

Our Resilience Training Course will help workers to build on their own levels of personal resilience and understand why it is important. To do this, it provides actionable steps for developing the five pillars of resilience: emotional wellbeing, inner drive, future focus, relationships and physical health.

Presenteeism Statistics in the UK

Presenteeism is becoming more and more common in UK workplaces, particularly among remote workers, and it’s an issue that employers, managers and supervisors literally cannot afford to ignore. The following statistics show the true cost of presenteeism in the UK: 

• Presenteeism costs UK employers up to £29bn a year, with presenteeism due to mental health having a more detrimental effect than staff absence.
• The cost of poor mental health of employees is estimated to be between £42bn and £45bn per annum, of which £29.3bn is due to presenteeism.
• 65% of HR staff report observing presenteeism in the workplace, while 81% report observing it among those who work from home.
• Almost half of workers (46%) admit to working despite not feeling physically or mentally well enough to perform their role.
• In 2022, employees lost 20.2% working hours from being unproductive, the equivalent of 51 productive days per employee, per year.

How to Reduce Presenteeism in Your Workplace

As an employer you need to look at whether some of the causes of presenteeism we listed earlier may be at play in your workplace. If so, there are some changes you can make to encourage healthier working among your employees, including: 

• Promoting a wellness culture – your organisational culture should promote the mental and physical wellbeing of everyone working there. You could introduce health promoting benefits, such as a cycle to work scheme, discounted gym memberships, subscriptions to mental wellbeing apps or private healthcare.
• Establish and communicate a strong sickness policy – you must communicate to employees that taking time off to recover when they’re unwell is important, encouraged and will not have negative consequences. Managers must also follow this policy to set a good example.
• Providing job security – if you can, offer guaranteed hours of work for employees rather than zero hour contracts and provide sick pay. This will give employees confidence that they can take time off for sickness without facing any negative repercussions.
• Improving communication – one problem with remote working can be a lack of regular communication. When line managers regularly check in with employees, they can identify if a worker is unwell or struggling with their workload and needs support. Managers should be trained to recognise the signs of physical and mental health problems and know how to provide support. You can learn about supporting mental health at work here. 

Mental Health Awareness

To increase your understanding of mental health and wellbeing, including how to support others suffering with their mental health and initiate conversations about mental health, you can take a look at our Mental Health Awareness course.

• Review absence policies – having a strict absence policy can drastically increase presenteeism. To make your absence policy less threatening to employees, make trigger points after certain lengths of absence positive rather than negative. For example, rather than giving a ‘warning’ after a length of absence, offer a wellness discussion to determine any issues and potential support you can provide to help them get healthy and back to work.
• Consult your staff – to get to the root cause of presenteeism in your workplace, you need to know what your staff think. You can put out an anonymous survey to staff to find out if there is anything that would put them off taking a sick day, such as an excessive workload or pressure from management. This will help to identify where changes need to be made in your organisation. 

When people don’t feel well, they can’t do their best work or be their best selves. If you want to create an organisation where employees are motivated, engaged and productive, you must accept that absences will happen, within reason. It’s your responsibility as an employer to promote wellbeing to reduce presenteeism, but also to make sure your employees feel they can take a day off when they need it.

Further Resources:

• How to Promote Positive Mental Health for Healthcare Workers 
• Managing Mental Health & Wellbeing in Hospitality 
• Work Related Stress: Your Responsibilities as an Employer
• Resilience in the Workplace: What are the Benefits and How Can Businesses Develop It?
• 6 Types of Leadership: Which Leadership Style is Right For Me?
• Mental Health Awareness for Managers Training Course 

The post The Cost of Presenteeism in the Workplace & Why it’s Not Just About Money appeared first on The Hub | High Speed Training.

One in four adults experience mental illness in any given year in the UK. As a result, there’s a massive demand for people to fill roles associated with mental health – for example, there are currently over 64,000 jobs advertised on Indeed working in this field. Supporting people with their mental health can be a challenging, rewarding and exciting career choice, with so many different roles available.

In this article, we’ll explore the types of mental health professionals in detail and explain the qualifications these positions require. We’ll also look into possible career pathways to these careers.

Types of Mental Health Professionals

There are many types of mental health professionals, with various roles, responsibilities and purposes. Mental health professionals work in various settings and with people of varying ages.

We’ll have a look into these roles in more detail below:

Psychiatrists

Psychiatrists are physicians that have a deep understanding of the science behind how our brains function and operate. This allows them to diagnose psychological issues in their patients.

Psychiatrists are also qualified doctors, allowing them to prescribe therapies and medication to patients. Often, psychiatrists are involved in diagnosing the most complex psychological concerns.

Psychological Professionals

This large field encompasses all kinds of counsellors and clinical psychologists. Counsellors and clinical psychologists offer a variety of treatments to help support people with issues such as depression, anxiety and eating disorders.

Mental Health Nurses

Mental health nurses provide support to people experiencing poor mental health in a variety of ways. They may be involved in early interventions and supporting people to find the right services and therapies that suit their needs. Another typical duty of theirs is to ensure that patients take their prescribed medication. They may also liaise with family members and help to build a network of support for an individual.

Mental health nurses work in various settings, from specialist hospital wards and units to residential centres and people’s homes.

Occupational Therapists

Occupational therapists (OTs) help people to overcome numerous challenges in their everyday lives, including mental health issues. They help people to adapt and respond to the things which they find difficult in order to live a full and happy life.

OTs liaise with numerous other agencies and organisations to ensure that they take a practical approach that benefits the person best.

Social Workers

Social work is incredibly varied, and in contrast to popular belief, social services help children and adults, not just the former. These professionals build relationships with individuals and families who may be facing a multitude of challenges. They offer guidance and support and help to signpost people to additional services which they may need to access.

To learn more about careers in health and social care, take a look at our hub article here.

Personal Skills Required for Roles in Mental Health

A career in mental health can be incredibly rewarding. Many people embark upon this kind of career because they find that helping and supporting others brings them joy and satisfaction.

As with many rewarding careers, it is also one that will likely come with challenges. However, several personal skills can help you with any challenging situations that you may encounter.

Some of these notable skills are explained below.

Patience

In some cases, it may take some time to make an impact and to see your hard work pay off. It’s important to be patient in these situations and understand that everyone is different.

Suffering from a mental illness can be scary for the individual, and you should treat everyone with the same level of patience. Some people may be sceptical towards getting help, and, therefore may take a while to trust you and open up to the point where you can understand how best you can help them.

Empathy

Being able to appreciate and understand how another person may be feeling is a crucial part of a career in mental health.

Having empathy is the ability to recognise and respect the emotions, ethics, beliefs and values of others. You’ll need to be able to understand how someone feels about a situation and be sensitive to their needs.

Active Listening

There is a difference between simply hearing what someone says to you and actively listening to them. The latter involves reacting to what has been said meaningfully and is so important when discussing mental health. Much of your role may involve talking to and communicating with those you support, their families and your colleagues.

Active listening means:

• Listening with intention, without distractions.
• Listening for meaning in what the person is saying.
• Not interrupting and allowing the person enough time to speak.
• Not listening with preconceived ideas.
• Not pretending to listen whilst actually waiting for a gap in the conversation to speak yourself.
• Using positive body language and facial expressions to show you are listening, such as nodding and smiling.
• Paying attention to the speaker’s tone of voice and body language.
• Using affirmative words, such as ‘okay’, ‘right’, and ‘I see’ to show that you’re listening and to encourage the person to continue talking.
• Repeating or paraphrasing what the person has said to show you have understood.
• Asking relevant, open questions (those that require more than a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer).

For more further guidance on active listening skills, take a look at our hub article: How to Improve Active Listening in Communication.

Working Under Pressure

Many careers in mental health are demanding and will present you with numerous tasks and deadlines that you will need to be able to manage.

It’s therefore important that you can not only prioritise your tasks and manage your time effectively, but also be able to do so with a clear mind in a pressurised situation. You may only have a moment or two to make an important decision, and it’s crucial that you feel able to do so.

Making Important Decisions

If your role involves building a support plan for someone with mental health concerns, important decisions will need to be made.

There is a huge responsibility that comes with this, and you must feel comfortable taking a proactive approach and feel confident in the decisions you make.

Resilience

Resilience is the ability to ‘bounce back’ and comfortably carry on in the midst of adversity. As we’ve mentioned, this career will likely be challenging at times. You’ll need to be able to face complicated – and potentially difficult – situations, remain calm and resilient.

For more information on resilience, check out our article.

You may already possess valuable and transferable skills which you could apply to a job in mental health. To consider this further, take a look at our hub article: Transferable Skills: What Are They and Why Are They Important?

What Qualifications Do I Need to Work in Mental Health?

The qualifications you’ll need for a career in mental health depend on the type of role you’re interested in. Many jobs do require qualifications to at least a degree level. There are also various mental health certificates and diplomas offered in colleges which can help you to develop the skills and knowledge required for an entry-level position in this field.

Common undergraduate degrees which lead to careers in mental health include:

• Nursing.
• Nursing (specialising in mental health).
• Health and Social Care.
• Medicine.
• Occupational Therapy.
• Psychology.

For certain roles within the mental health field, it might be required to have a master’s or postgraduate qualification following an undergraduate degree to specialise in a particular area. This would be common for roles such as behavioural therapy and psychological counselling, as you need to become an expert in your field in order to competently help others. It is then possible to work in various settings using your qualifications, such as schools, hospitals, residential settings and in people’s own homes.

A great way to kick off a career in mental health is to get involved in volunteer work. Volunteering is a way to get a feel for whether this kind of work is right for you, and you can fit it around existing commitments. Having some practical work experience like this on your CV will also make you a more attractive candidate when applying for courses and qualifications.

Need a Course?

At High Speed Training we offer a range of courses to help you to manage your own mental health as well as the skills need to support others, such as our Mental Health Awareness course, designed to increase your understanding of common mental health conditions.

Mental Health Career Pathways

The pathway you’ll need to take to start a career in mental health will depend entirely on the position that you want.

For example, if you are interested in psychiatry, the first step would be to complete medical school. Typically, you’ll need appropriate GCSE and A-levels to be accepted into a university to study a five-year undergraduate degree in medicine. However, if you have an undergraduate degree already – even if it’s in a different subject – you could take a postgraduate degree in medicine, which would take four years. Once you have completed medical school, you’ll be required to join the paid foundation program, where you’ll gain experience by working in different settings across six different placements.

As you become experienced in your chosen field, you may choose to set up your own business offering services such as counselling and psychotherapy. Many people who take this path will become a part of a professional body or association, such as BACP (British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists) or UKCP (United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy). This offers their patients reassurance that they hold the relevant qualifications and have the right level of experience to offer specific therapies.

You may also choose to work on a specialist psychiatric ward in a clinical setting or perhaps in medical research. Once you have experience, the correct training and the right qualifications, you will find that new opportunities are made available to you.

On the other hand, if you’re interested in becoming a mental health support worker, the requirements are quite different. There are no specific qualification requirements – however, employers will likely prefer you to have a diploma or NVQ in healthcare or something similar. Having experience of working in mental health is also likely to be preferable. Still, this experience could be from your own personal circumstances, and doesn’t necessarily have to be past work experience.

Once you begin studying for a qualification in mental health, you will likely find particular areas more interesting than others. It may be that you find you are fascinated by the science behind how the brain functions, or perhaps it is the practical skills of caring for people with mental illness which interest you. You’ll also begin to realise where your skills are best suited.

A career in mental health can provide challenges and fulfilment in equal measures. With so many different job roles and career paths associated with this type of work, the opportunities are vast. If you feel you have the right personal skills and level of interest, this may be an excellent career to explore further.

Further Resources

• Mental Health Myths vs Facts: What are the Realities?
• A Personal Development Plan (PDP) Guide & Template
• Careers in Health and Social Care
• Writing A Professional Development Plan – Example & Template

The post How to Get a Job in Mental Health appeared first on The Hub | High Speed Training.

Physical exercise has been proven to have huge potential in improving our mental wellbeing, with studies showing that people who exercise regularly experience better mental health and emotional wellbeing, as well as lower rates of mental illness.

In this article, we will explore the link between physical exercise and mental wellbeing and how they interact, explain why this is so important for our overall health, and recommend some ideas for how to use physical activity to improve mental wellbeing.

The Relationship Between Physical Activity and Mental Health

Physical activity involves any movement of the body that uses the muscles, increases  your heart rate or breathing, and expends energy. Luckily, there are endless possibilities of ways in which to do this and therefore there’s an option that everyone will enjoy. 

Physical exertion and mental health are directly connected due to changes in chemical activity that occur in the brain during and after exercise. This includes the increase of ‘happy hormones’ such as serotonin and the release of endorphins, as well as a reduction in stress hormones such as cortisol. As a result of these chemical changes, physical activity is shown to have a hugely positive effect on our mental wellbeing.

It’s important to remember, however, that everyone’s experience with mental health is unique, and therefore the impact of physical activity on mental wellbeing will vary for each individual. It’s normal for our mental state to fluctuate between positive and negative as we experience natural changes in mood and circumstance. However, there are a variety of named mental health issues that occur when there’s a clinically significant disturbance in an individual’s mental wellbeing. You can learn more about the different types of mental health in our article here.

Want to Learn More?

 Our range of mental health courses, including Mental Health Awareness, Child Mental Health Training and Health and Wellbeing, aim to increase your understanding of mental health, common mental health conditions and how to promote positive mental health.

Why is Physical Activity Important for Mental Health?

In the UK and beyond, mental wellbeing is increasingly being discussed as something that we need to actively maintain and improve, as almost everyone suffers from ill mental health at some point in their life. New research among 2,000 adults in England has revealed that around 4 in 10 people report having trouble sleeping, feeling less confident, and having less energy due to anxiety.

Despite physical activity being repeatedly shown to improve mental health in a myriad of ways, less than half of adults are aware that it’s proven to reduce symptoms of anxiety, alleviate stress and distract from negative thoughts. 

These statistics demonstrate the importance of discussing mental health openly and frequently, to help raise awareness and fight ignorance or stigmas. You can find suggestions for how to talk about mental health in our article, here.

How Does Exercise Improve Mental Health?

Releases Feel Good Hormones 

Although it can be hard to motivate yourself to exercise, it’s unlikely that you’ll regret it once you start. This is due to the release of ‘feel-good’ chemicals during exercise, including mood-boosting endorphins, endocannabinoids, which improve sleep and reduce anxiety, and memory improving dopamine. 

Improves Confidence and Self Esteem

Self esteem is a strong indicator of someone’s mental wellbeing. Exercise gives you a way to frequently achieve goals and gain a sense of pride that you’ve pushed yourself to move despite it being difficult. This all contributes to improving self-esteem almost immediately. 

Improves Sleep

People who regularly exercise are shown to sleep better and feel less tired during the day. Regular exercise also improves the symptoms of insomnia and increases the amount of time you spend in the deep, restorative stages of sleep.

Improves Memory, Concentration and Focus

Exercise increases your heart rate and causes more blood to flow to the brain. This promotes cell growth which allows for greater focusing abilities. Additionally, physical activity releases proteins in the brain which the hippocampus, the area of the brain responsible for retaining information, is very susceptible to. 

Reduces Stress and Anxiety

Physical activity helps to control the levels of stress hormones in our body, such as cortisol and adrenaline, and acts as a means of release for negative emotions building up inside of us. It also helps to relieve physical tension, which is often a side effect of stress or anxiety. If you’re interested in other ways to help manage stress, take a look at our article, here.

Promotes Social Connection

Certain physical activities make it easier to socialise and form connections. For example, sports teams and local groups, like walking or running clubs, are a great way to meet new people. Socialising with friends is an effective form of self-care, helping us to establish strong, healthy connections and support networks. 

Contributes to the Treatment of Mental Illness

Not only is physical activity proven to help maintain mental wellbeing, it has also been shown to be an effective form of treatment for mental illness, even more so than medication in some cases. A recent study demonstrated that physical activity interventions of any kind can significantly reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety in all clinical populations. Importantly, the research shows that it doesn’t take much for exercise to make a positive change to your mental health, with short to mid-duration bursts having a greater effect than long durations of exercise. 

How Does Lack of Exercise Affect Your Mental Health?

Whilst exercising has hugely positive effects on mental wellbeing, a lack of exercise can have the converse effect and contribute to a downturn in mental health. In fact, research suggests that just 10 days without fitness can cause the brain to start losing cognitive function. Additionally, whilst it can be harder to motivate yourself to exercise when you’re feeling low, if you don’t engage in physical activity your mood could suffer even more. 

Some of the negative impacts of a lack of exercise include:

• A higher risk of anxiety and depression.
• Difficulty to think positively or see the bright side.
• Trouble with problem solving.
• Development of self-deprecating thought patterns.
• Reduced ability to manage stress.

The NHS recommends doing 150 minutes of physical activity per week in order to get the physical and mental health benefits that exercise provides. Despite this advice, however, it’s been found that 4 in 10 adults are currently not meeting this target. 

How to Get Started with Using Physical Exercise for Your Mental Health

If you’re at the beginning of your fitness journey, it’s best to start slowly with short durations of low impact exercise such as walking or playing a gentle sport like golf or badminton.

By easing yourself into physical activity, you will avoid becoming demotivated by the difficulty and pressure of trying to do too much too soon. Instead, it’s better to gradually increase the duration and strenuousness of your exercise and, if you maintain regular activity, you will soon begin to see improvements in your abilities which will have a positive effect on your self esteem and overall wellbeing. 

The Best Exercises for Mental Health

First and foremost, it’s important to remember that the best exercise for your mental health will be one that you enjoy. This is the key to making physical activity a healthy habit that you can maintain over time. With that in mind, here are a selection of mood boosting exercises that you could try:

Walking

Although walking is sometimes disregarded as not being ‘proper’ exercise, this is a myth and there are in fact many physical and mental benefits to going for a walk. Some of the advantages of walking is that it’s a free activity and one that is low impact and therefore can be enjoyed by most people. Additionally, walking is a good way to get outside into fresh air and experience nature, both of which have also been shown to positively influence mental wellbeing. 

Yoga

Whilst yoga is a form of physical exercise that gets the body moving, its core focus is on establishing a connection with your mind and breathing to establish a state of relaxation and focus. Thus, it has long been recognised for its benefits on mental wellbeing. This form of exercise is great for easing stress and tension, lowering blood pressure, and boosting serotonin. Therefore, it can be effective in reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety. 

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

If you’re looking for a more intense and challenging form of exercise that can be practised in short durations,  a HIIT workout may be the perfect option. This form of physical activity raises the heart rate considerably and therefore gets the blood pumping around the body, increasing blood flow to the brain and releasing endorphins. 

Running

Running is perhaps the most celebrated and best recognised form of exercise to combine physical fitness with mental wellbeing. Similarly to walking, it is free and often gets you outside. Famously, running can produce a phenomena known as ‘runner’s high’ which occurs when the body is flooded with feel-good chemicals during or shortly after a run. Many  people describe this feeling as a state of euphoria or bliss; not only is your mood boosted but the feeling can also reduce pain and anxiety substantially. 

If you’d like to start running but are not sure how to begin, the NHS Couch to 5k is a great running plan for absolute beginners, which will help you work up towards running 5k in just 9 weeks.

Boxing and Martial Arts

Boxing, or any other form of martial art activity, is not only a great form of physical exercise but also helps to let off steam and release pent up negative emotions such as stress. Additionally, martial arts is a great form of exercise to raise self esteem and confidence as it builds visible strength and provides regular trackable improvements. 

Dancing

There are many different types of dance and all of them have varying benefits that relate to mental health. Ballet, for example, has similarities to yoga in being grounded in mindfulness and self-awareness, and many forms of dance such as hip hop and zumba are free flowing and intense so raise your heart rate and produce endorphins. Additionally, dance can be an extremely social form of exercise, as it’s often partaken in group classes and involves close collaboration. Thus, it’s a good way to form connections and build a strong support network. 

These examples describe just a few of the many forms of physical activity available to try, but the options are almost limitless. Your local leisure centre is a good place to start, as they often offer a variety of sports and fitness classes for anyone to join. Whilst each type of physical activity benefits wellbeing in slightly different ways, all forms of exercise have a hugely positive impact on maintaining and improving mental health. 

Your mental health is just as important to care for as your physical health, and exercise has been shown to have a direct impact on improving and maintaining mental wellbeing. There are so many different ways to take part in physical activity, so why not try a few various forms and find the ones that work best for you. 

Further Resources:

• Types of Mental Health
• How to Talk About Mental Health
• Mental Health Myths vs Facts: What are the Realities?
• Stress Management Activities to Try at Home
• Mental Health Awareness Course

The post The Benefits of Exercise on Mental Health appeared first on The Hub | High Speed Training.

In this article, we will outline what workplace stress is and examine some of the common causes of it. We will also look at the signs that indicate someone is struggling with stress and provide some tips and advice for managing stress at work.

What is Workplace Stress?

Work-related stress develops when a person struggles to cope with the demands placed on them, and stress is the body’s reaction to pressure or feeling threatened. Stress is a normal and natural part of life; however, everyone experiences it differently. For example, people can cope with different amounts of stress, and it can be caused by one particular issue, or a number of small problems that build up.

Stress is especially common in workplaces where the environment is fast-paced, of a high intensity or pressurised. However, stress can affect anyone in any job role or at any level of a business, so it is important that all employers have a strategy in place to deal with, and prevent, work related stress.

There are many reasons why people may feel stressed, just as there are many different types of mental health. We will look into these causes in more detail further in the article, however, the main sources of stress are:

• Tasks – the work is beyond the individual’s capability or capacity, they have too little work, they are overloaded with information or the work is very monotonous.
• Relationships – including interactions with other people, harassment and bullying.
• Unclear job role – there are opposing demands made by different people, or there is no clear idea of what is expected. There is little or no recognition for work done, a threat to personal safety or fear of redundancy or dismissal.
• Environmental factors – including noise, heat, lighting and cleanliness.

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and Management of Health and Safety at Work (MHSW) Regulations 1999, employers must ensure the health, safety, and welfare of their employees at work, and this includes preventing work-related stress. The MHSW Regulations require employers to carry out risk assessments of their workplace to identify if existing control measures need updating and if they need to implement any new ones. This includes considering where work-related stress may occur. You can find a free workplace stress risk assessment in our article, here. 

For more information on employers’ legal responsibilities, check out our article: Work Related Stress: Your Responsibilities as an Employer.

Need a Course?

Our Stress Awareness in the Workplace training course is designed to help both employees and managers identify stress and introduces a range of practical techniques that individuals can use to manage stressful situations.

Causes of Stress in the Workplace

As we’ve established, there are countless things that can cause people stress, and to varying degrees. However, in the workplace, there are some common causes that we’ll look at in detail below.

Demands of the job

Every job is demanding in its own way, and, in many instances, this is the main cause of stress in the workplace. For example: 

• High work loads – If your role has tight deadlines, or the volume of work you’re expected to produce within a certain time-frame is high, it can be stressful trying to keep on top of it all and meet the expectations placed on you. 
• Pressurised environments – If your role is in a high-paced or pressurised environment, you may feel stressed trying to keep yourself alert and on the ball. It may also involve multitasking, which can be demanding in itself – especially if required for long periods of time. 
• Long hours – If you work long hours, it can be physically tiring and also mentally draining. It can also affect your work/life balance. Feeling as though you ‘live at work’ and are rarely at home can be a great source of stress. 

Colleague relationships

Many people are required to work alongside or nearby others in their job role. You may work directly as part of a team or simply have to liaise with colleagues throughout your day. Naturally, this can be either a rewarding or stressful experience. If the latter occurs, it can lead to a negative work environment and a prominent cause of stress in the workplace.

There are many different reasons that conflict between colleagues occurs. Some of the most common include:

• Individual differences or clashing personalities.
• An employee being unsuitable or incompatible with their role.
• Changes within an organisation, including promotion or structural change.
• A workplace culture that promotes gossiping and rumours, leading to people feeling excluded or harassed. 
• Perceived favouritism.
• Poor communication or miscommunication.

Need a Course?

Our Conflict Resolution Training course provides advice and strategies for employees to bring constructive outcomes from difficult situations. We also offer a range of short courses if you work in the hospitality or retail industry: Managing Customer Conflict in Hospitality, Managing Conflict in Retail and Interpersonal Conflict Training.

Problems with management

Conflict between an employee and a manager can also be a cause of stress. Most people are required in their role to answer to a line manager, and if that relationship isn’t healthy, it can have a detrimental effect on an employee’s mental wellbeing and job satisfaction.

A conflict between an employee and manager can develop due to any of the causes already discussed. However, it can also be due to:

• Time off or holiday requests being rejected.
• Being asked to perform a task without sufficient training.
• A lack of recognition or feeling undervalued.
• Employees not understanding the reasons behind them being asked to do something.
• Employees perceiving themselves to be working harder than their manager.

Customer or client expectations

Dealing with customers or clients most commonly occurs in customer-facing roles, such as within hospitality or retail environments. However, they can occur in any industry that deals with external parties, including suppliers, customers or clients. Trying – and potentially failing – to meet a customer or client’s expectations can be a great source of stress. 

No matter the industry you work in, chances are you’re going to encounter a complaint of some kind – either directly or indirectly.

For example, some of the most common complaints include:

• The attitude of employees they encounter.
• Being made to wait longer than they expected.
• Mistakes from employees.
• The quality of the product or service they have paid for.

Check out our article for more information: How to Handle Customer Complaints.

Lack of proper resources or training

Training is vital for employees and for a business’ success. Feeling as though you haven’t been adequately trained for your job (or there aren’t sufficient resources in order for you to fulfil your duties properly) is a common reason for workplace stress.

Inadequately trained employees are likely to experience poor job performance and increased levels of work-related stress. Poorly trained employees are also likely to feel undervalued, which will reduce workplace productivity, loyalty and engagement. 

To find out more, check out our article: The Consequences of a Lack of Training in the Workplace. 

Working from home

In recent years, many organisations have chosen to implement hybrid working, meaning there is a large proportion of the workforce that operate from home.

For some people, being in their own home and space is a great comfort. However, it can also be a cause of stress in the workplace. For example:

• Working from home removes the separation of ‘work’ and ‘home’, and having the two blended together can feel as though you never leave work. 
• There are more distractions at home, which can lead to people missing deadlines or letting their workload get on top of them.
• The working hours, if flexible, can blend into out-of-work hours, where it is easy to work longer hours than you would if you were working from an office, for example. The temptation to reply to an email or two can result in you never really switching off from being at work.
• While some enjoy the space, others can find working from home isolating, where they miss the in-person company of colleagues.

If you’d like to read more about working from home, check out our articles: Working from Home: Looking after your Mental Health and Weekly Working from Home Structure: Free Schedule Template.

Signs and Symptoms of Work Related Stress

If you, or someone you know, is experiencing stress then you (or they) are likely to be suffering as a result. At first, you may not realise that the symptoms are actually symptoms of the stress itself, but once you’ve identified the symptoms, it’ll be easier for you to deal with them. You can then look at managing the causes of your stress at work.  

We have broken the signs and symptoms of work-related stress into four categories: physical, emotional, cognitive and behavioural/psychological, and they are explored in more detail below.

Physical symptoms

Stress can manifest in physical symptoms. These are the body’s reaction to a perceived or potential threat. 

Some of the physical symptoms caused by stress include, but are not limited to:

• Tiredness and fatigue.
• A racing pulse and rapid breathing.
• Joint and muscle tension and aches.
• Shakiness, tremors and twitches.
• Heartburn, indigestion, diarrhoea and constipation.
• Nervousness, sweating and clammy hands.
• Dry mouth and throat.
• Rashes and eczema.
• Loss of appetite.
• Sleeping difficulties.
• Fidgeting, grinding teeth and clenched fists.

Physical symptoms of stress may require further medical advice in case there are other underlying reasons for them, and if physical symptoms persist then you should visit your doctor. If you experience frequent or high levels of stress, these physical symptoms may worsen or develop into long-term health conditions.

Emotional symptoms

Stress can also present itself in a number of emotional symptoms, as it can often affect our mood and overall emotional wellbeing. 

Some of the emotional symptoms caused by stress include, but are not limited to:

• Feeling tense, angry or impatient.
• Feeling emotionally on-edge.
• Panic attacks.
• Fear or guilt for no reason.
• Feeling powerless or overwhelmed.
• Obsessions.
• Feeling as if everyone is out to get you.
• Depression.

Cognitive symptoms

Cognitive symptoms are associated with the way our mind experiences stress. These, therefore, affect the way we cope and manage situations while under stress. 

Some of the cognitive symptoms caused by stress include, but are not limited to:

• Constant worrying.
• Racing thoughts.
• Forgetfulness and disorganisation.
• Inability to focus.
• Poor judgement.
• Only seeing the negatives.
• Difficulty making decisions.

Behavioural/psychological symptoms

Behavioural symptoms of stress, also known as psychological symptoms, are changes in your attitudes and behaviour due to stress.

Some of the behavioural/psychological symptoms caused by stress include, but are not limited to:

• Irritability, impatience and anger.
• Worry, anxiety and panic.
• Moodiness.
• Memory lapses and lack of concentration.
• Absences from work, low morale and low productivity.
• Loss of sense of humour.
• Social withdrawal.
• Depression and being easily reduced to tears.
• Insomnia.
• Boredom.
• Increased alcohol consumption.

How to Cope with Stress at Work

Understanding how to cope with stress when you experience it is just as important as dealing with the causes of stress themselves. 

Without efficient and practical coping mechanisms, the stress is likely to take control and you will become more susceptible to stress-related illnesses. If you get stressed frequently, it’s important that you learn to relax to avoid burning out.

Below are some tips and advice that can help you to reduce stress. 

• Make sure you physically relax. When you’re stressed, your muscles contract and become tense. Ways to relax your body include: stretching, getting a massage, yoga and regular exercise.
• Promote mental relaxation. Many people who are stressed suffer from psychological distress, where their minds are racing, they can’t stop worrying, can’t sleep and find concentrating is difficult. The key here is to calm your mind and distract yourself from the stressful thoughts. Also, try to avoid thinking of the ‘what-ifs’ and jumping to conclusions. Often the negative presumptions you have will never come to pass.
• Improve your breathing techniques. When you are stressed, your breathing becomes faster and shallower. Not as much oxygen reaches your bloodstream or your brain and so your heart rate and blood pressure increase, you feel light headed and you get a bit shaky. Practising relaxation techniques will help you regain control and bring your breathing back down to its normal, slow and regular state.
• Maintain a work/life balance. Taking some time out of your hectic daily routine, both at work and at home, is essential if you are going to fully relax your mind and body. Consider partaking in activities such as reading, taking a bath, yoga or meditation, practising a hobby or spending time with family or friends. 
• Make sure you get enough sleep. Sleep is one of the most important factors in reducing stress. Most people need around seven to eight hours sleep a night, though some people can manage on six. Try these tips to get a good night’s sleep: set a routine, avoid drinking alcohol or caffeine before sleep, make sure your bedroom is sufficiently dark and quiet and avoid using technology (such as a phone, laptop or TV) for an hour before you sleep. 

If you, or someone you know, are suffering from stress at work, it’s crucial that you know where you can find help if you need it.

You might consider visiting your GP. Equally, you can find guidance online from the NHS, Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Mind. 

You should also speak with your line manager about your concerns. They will be able to take steps to reduce your stress, whether that is in the form of reducing your workload, extending a deadline or in another way.

As mentioned previously, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, places duties on employers to manage the health and safety of their employees at work. Ideally, your employer should have a proactive approach to managing stress at work, and implement prevention strategies rather than only acting when a problem occurs. This includes taking steps to make sure employees do not suffer stress-related illness as a result of their work and can be done by undertaking a workplace stress risk assessment. You can find a free, downloadable risk assessment in our article: Workplace Stress Risk Assessment: Free Template and Guidance.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this article on how to manage stress at work and that you’ve found the tips and advice useful. If you have any further questions, or wish to find out more information on the topics covered in this article, call a member of our friendly support team at High Speed Training on 0333 006 7000.

Further Resources

• Stress Awareness in the Workplace Course
• Workplace Stress Risk Assessment: Free Template and Guidance
• How to be Productive at Work: Guidance for Employees
• How to Deal with Anxiety at Work
• Workplace Health & Wellbeing Quiz
• Workplace Bullying and Harassment Quiz
• The Cost of Presenteeism in the Workplace & Why it’s Not Just About Money
• How to Talk About Mental Health

The post How to Manage Stress at Work appeared first on The Hub | High Speed Training.

In this article, we will look at the role that reading can play in promoting positive mental health. We will consider some of the general benefits and also look at some specific ways that reading can be used as a tool to improve our wellbeing.

Literacy and Mental Health

Before considering the many benefits of reading, it is worth noting that simply having the literacy skills that enable you to read can be a protective factor for mental health. People who are unable to read are more likely to experience mental ill-health.

According to the National Literacy Trust, 16.4% of adults in England (which equates to 7.1 million people) can be described as having ‘very poor literacy skills’. Being unable to read can significantly affect an individual’s outcomes in many areas of life, which can, in turn, detrimentally affect their mental health. 
A 2023 global study by scholars at the University of East Anglia, found a ‘significant association between literacy and mental health outcomes across multiple countries’.

Benefits of Reading on Mental Health

For those people who do have the literacy skills to access reading, there are a great many benefits, some of which we will look at in this section of the article. 

Each person will have their own preferences when it comes to reading material – you might prefer to read physical books, newspapers or magazines, or access content in online or electronic formats, for example.

The types of written content that you might want to read could include:

• Fiction – including novels, short stories, graphic novels and picture books.
• Nonfiction – including factual books, magazines, newspapers or journals.
• Poetry

The benefits of reading with regards to mental health include:

Relaxation

Reading can be used as a form of relaxation. You stop, usually sit somewhere comfortable, and give your full attention to the activity. One study (Mindlab International, Sussex University, 2009), found that reading silently for just six minutes was enough to slow down the heart rate and ease tension in the muscles – in turn reducing stress.

You might want to experiment with types of content to see which you find most relaxing. For example, if current affairs cause you anxiety generally, then you may not want to opt to read a newspaper for relaxation purposes. 

By becoming absorbed in what you are reading, you are able to escape your own thoughts and concerns for a while. Reading can be a mindful activity, grounding your thoughts in the words on the page.

Need a Course?

Our range of mental health courses, including Mental Health Awareness, Child Mental Health Training and Mental Health Awareness for Managers, aims to increase your understanding of mental health, common mental health conditions and how to promote positive mental health.

Sleep

Sleep hygiene – developing healthy behaviours and routines to help you get the best night’s sleep possible – can be a powerful tool in promoting good mental health. Disturbed sleep can be a feature of mental ill-health and can also exacerbate any issues that you might be experiencing. When we are tired, we are likely to be less resilient. 

Reading can form a part of a successful sleep routine. Reading before bed can help your mind wind down, help you ease into sleep – resulting in a better night’s sleep than if you use screen based activity before bed.

Allocating a section of your evening to reading before bed can not only help you to relax before going to sleep, but can also serve as some important time to dedicate to a pleasurable hobby. Allowing time for your hobbies is another way that you can help promote your own mental wellbeing. 

Empathy

One US study showed that reading fiction can increase how empathetic a person is, by allowing them to become emotionally connected to the experiences of the characters.

Empathy can be beneficial to our own mental health as it increases our ability to relate to others and improve our communications. Empathy can also be self-directed – rather than being hard on ourselves and thinking negatively about our thoughts and actions, we can show empathy and understanding towards our own experience in the same way we would others.

Representation

Reading opens up our access to experiences. As well as empathising with the lives of others, reading can be a powerful way to see elements of our own experiences reflected in the experiences we are reading about. If this relates to something directly impacting your own mental health, reading about others’ similar situations can help you feel that you are not alone in the experience; that your experience is valid.

Bibliotherapy

Bibliotherapy is a specific intervention where reading material is used as part of therapeutic treatment of mental health issues. This might happen alongside talking therapies or other inventions. The material can include books that build knowledge of mental health issues or conditions and those that explain techniques or strategies, such as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) or mindfulness.

The Reading Well programme supports people in England and Wales to use reading to help them understand and manage their mental health. Their website contains useful booklists, organised by topic, which people can then access via their local library.

How to Use Reading for Mental Health

There are many ways you can make the most of the benefits that we have detailed above. Here are some practical tips:

Build Reading into Your Daily Routine

Just setting some time aside for yourself can be a powerful way to prioritise your own mental health. You are giving yourself permission to take time to do something for you. Pair this time with some reading. It could be ten minutes first thing in the morning, half an hour wind down reading before bed or using your commute to work to read rather than answer emails – any time that fits with your own routine.

If you are unsure where to start with choosing books, you can find many online recommendation lists, from best books of the 21st century to the top 100 classics to read.

Read with Others

Connections with others form a protective factor in terms of our mental health. Reading to, or with, others can be a great way to benefit from, and share the advantages of, reading.

Reading with Children

This could be reading to your children or hearing them read (or ideally both). This is a hugely important way to develop them as readers – both in terms of practice and in modelling the importance of reading. It can also provide you with some dedicated, quality time together in your day. Reading with children can be a great way to begin to talk to your children about their own mental wellbeing and feelings, using what you have read as a springboard. 

For ideas and inspiration about books to read with children, check out the Book Trust website, which contains recommendations for different age groups and on different topics.

You could also volunteer to read with children at a local school or via charities such as Bookmark. Volunteering in itself can be a great way to boost your own mental wellbeing – helping others has positive effects on our mental health.  

Reading with Adults

There are other volunteering opportunities where you could make a difference by supporting someone who is looking to improve their literacy skills. Literacy charity Read Easy, provides training for volunteers to help support adult literacy skills and then pairs them with someone to work with. 

The Shannon Trust runs reading programmes in prisons across the UK. Over 50% of people in prison struggle with reading, or are unable to read. The Trust offers training to volunteers, who then work with those in prison to help them learn to read, or improve their reading skills.

It may also be possible to volunteer to organise reading groups or to read aloud to residents at local care homes. Shared reading groups have been shown to improve the wellbeing of residents, and poetry is thought to be particularly powerful for those living with dementia.

Book Clubs

Book clubs can be a great way to meet people. The books provide a shared focus which means that there is a structure to the social interaction. This can be particularly beneficial for people who find unpredictable social situations challenging or uncomfortable. Having a book to read and discuss also means that you are able to share your own thoughts, and benefit from the insights of others. Knowing that you need to read a book in time for the next session can also help you to continue to prioritise reading in your daily routine. 

Local libraries often run book clubs but you can easily form an informal book club with a few friends or colleagues, if you prefer. They are a great way to get to know workmates better. You can run book clubs virtually or in person. 

Reading can have many benefits in promoting and protecting our mental health. By prioritising reading in a way that works for you, you can boost relaxation, empathy and connectedness – positively benefiting your wellbeing.

Further Resources:

• Stress Management Activities to Try at Home
• How to Talk About Mental Health
• The Benefits of Exercise on Mental Health
• Why is Reading so Important for Children?
• Mental Health Awareness Training

The post Reading and Mental Health: What are the Benefits? appeared first on The Hub | High Speed Training.

In this article, we will outline the law on breaks at work, explain in detail a few reasons why they are so vital and provide some suggestions for employee break rooms.

What is the Law on Breaks at Work?

Depending on the type of work and hours worked, employers in the UK must give employees time to rest. Breaks allow employees to eat, drink, de-stress and find motivation, and having a dedicated space separate from the normal working environment maximises the benefit. 

It’s important, whether you’re an employer or employee, that you understand the legal rights people have in terms of rest breaks at work. 

The Working Time Regulations 1998 is the primary UK legislation that outlines provisions for rest breaks at work and time off. 

Under the legislation, there are three types of breaks for workers over the age of 18:

• At work, employees are entitled to a minimum of one uninterrupted 20-minute break if they work more than six hours a day. This break must be within their working time and shouldn’t be taken at the start or end of their working day. 
• Between shifts, employees are entitled to a minimum of 11 hours rest between working days. For example, if they finish work at 8pm they can’t start work again until 7am.
• During the week, employees are entitled to a minimum of an uninterrupted 24 hours without any work each week, or uninterrupted 48 hours without any work each fortnight.

The amount of time given for a rest break at work will depend on the company; some may stick to the minimum 20 minutes while others may give staff more.

Employers can decide when employees have to take their break as long as they fulfil the following conditions:

• The break is taken in its entirety at some point in the middle of the day – not at the beginning or end.
• Employees are allowed to leave their desk or workstation to take their break.

It doesn’t count as a rest break if an employee is required to go back to work before the break is finished by their employer. 

However, unless it is specified within their contract, employees don’t have the right to:

• Take smoking or vaping breaks.
• Get paid for rest breaks. 

You can find more information on rest breaks at work on the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website and the UK government website.

Young workers

Young workers have extra rights to protect them because of their age. The rules on young workers apply from school leaving age until they turn 18. 

By law, a worker aged between school leaving age and 17 must not work more than eight hours a day and 40 hours a week.

They must also have, as a minimum:

• A 30-minute break if their working day is longer than 4.5 hours.
• 12 hours’ rest in any 24-hour period in which they work (for example, between one working day and the next).
• 48 hours’ (two days) rest taken together, each week or – if there is a good business reason why this is not possible – at least 36 hours’ rest, with the remaining 12 hours taken as soon as possible afterwards.

Why is it Important to Take Breaks at Work?

Rest breaks at work are vital for both our physical and mental wellbeing. The human body can’t stay in a static position for prolonged periods, nor can the mind focus continuously. 

Little changes of scenery and activity are perfect for a quick stretch, but a longer lunch break is equally as important. Regular breaks can also help prevent common office-related injuries.

Below are some of the most important benefits of taking regular breaks at work.

Physical wellbeing

As we’ve explained, the human body isn’t designed to be static for prolonged periods of time as this can lead to a number of health issues, including:

• Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). This refers to any injury, damage or disorder of the joints or tissues in the upper or lower limbs, neck or back that can cause discomfort and pain, such as repetitive strain injuries (RSIs). MSDs are especially common in office workers, if they have a poor desk arrangement and/or adopt bad postures. 
• Visual discomfort. Again, this is common with office workers who use display screen equipment (DSE). While it has not been proven that DSE causes permanent damage to eyesight, it is commonly associated with eye strain and fatigue.

Rest breaks help minimise strain on the:

• Lower back.
• Neck and shoulders.
• Thighs and bottom.
• Eyes.
• Wrists and fingers.

You should take frequent breaks away from your work area and walk about to break up long periods of sitting still. If you work at a desk, you should stretch, alter your position slightly or do some small desk exercises at least every hour. This prevents you from remaining static for too long, especially in an awkward or twisted position, as this can cause MSDs and headaches.

If you work in a role that involves manual handling or physical excursion, it’s important to take a break to prevent muscle strain and overuse.

Health and Safety Courses

Employees need to be sufficiently trained to handle occupational hazards, and understand how to keep themselves and others safe at work. Check out our range of Health and Safety courses, including Health and Safety Training for Employees, Manual Handling Awareness and Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Training.

Reducing stress

Most people experience stress at work, in varying degrees of severity. High workloads and demanding deadlines often result in employees skipping lunch breaks and working long hours. 

However, it’s important that you have a good work-life balance. Otherwise, it can result in a quick burn out, high levels of stress and high employee turnover. Taking regular breaks at work can help to reduce the risk of stress. 

Prolonged stress can create a number of symptoms including, but not limited to:

• Anxiety.
• Depression.
• Sleeping problems, such as insomnia.
• Backache, tension and muscle fatigue.
• Headaches.
• Irritability.
• Loss of appetite.

Check out our article on stress management activities to try at home. Equally, you may find our free workplace stress risk assessment helpful. 

Improving concentration and productivity

Our ability to maintain consistent attention dwindles after around 45 minutes, so stepping away from a piece of work, shifting attention to something else, and then returning with fresh eyes gives us a chance to refocus.

It can also help with productivity. This is defined as efficiently completing tasks or achieving goals, without compromising either the quality of the work or your physical or mental wellbeing.

It might sound counterproductive, but if you can feel your progress slowing down or you are struggling to complete a certain task, sometimes the best thing you can do is step away from the problem for a short while. This isn’t just applicable to office work, either, where you can leave your desk – this applies to any task in any setting. 

Taking five minutes away from the situation to reset allows you to return with a clearer head. This can help you to see the solution to a problem more clearly and therefore increases the chance of you completing it, making your day more productive.

For more information, check out our article: How to be Productive at Work: Guidance for Employees.

Mental wellbeing

Taking regular breaks is important for our mental health and wellbeing, especially in the workplace. Depending on where you work, this will be easier for some than others, but you can improve wellbeing with some minimal changes.

To switch things up, try:

• Making a round of tea or coffee.
• Stretch your arms and legs.
• Wash any dishes left in the kitchen sink.
• Water the office plants.

All of these things may seem small, but they can make a huge difference for our mental wellbeing, and you can return to work with a much clearer, more focused mind.

Mental Health Courses

We offer a range of Mental Health courses that have been developed by our team of experts to help you manage your own mental health as well as learn the skills to support others. These include Mental Health Awareness, Resilience Training and Stress Awareness in the Workplace.

Working from home

Over the past couple of years, many organisations have chosen to implement hybrid working, meaning there is a large proportion of the workforce that operate from home. Some companies have even introduced remote working full time, meaning that more people are working from home than ever before. You can check out our article on the benefits and challenges of working from home, here. 

The tips we provided earlier in the article are all still relevant and applicable to people who work from home – however, some are even more important to follow than for those working in an office full-time.

Rest breaks are just as important to take when working from home as they are in any other work environment. There can be a tendency to stay working at a desk for longer hours than you would in an office, due to the familiar setting, and there may not be anyone around to encourage you to take a break.

Break Room Ideas for Employees

In order to comply with the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, there are certain welfare provisions that an employer must provide for their employees. This includes, ‘so far as is reasonably practicable’ providing adequate and appropriate welfare facilities for them while they are at work. 

For all workplaces, permanent or temporary, minimum requirements must be met, including:

• A suitable seating area for workers to use during breaks. For example, facilities where employees can rest and eat meals. Where food is eaten, there should be a sufficient number of suitable tables and chairs with backrests. The area must also be clean and located where food will not get contaminated. 
• Suitable and sufficient sanitary conveniences. These must be provided for all users at readily accessible places. There must be separate conveniences for men and women, unless each convenience is in a separate room of which the door can be locked securely from inside. Sanitary conveniences must have a supply of toilet paper and a means of disposing of sanitary dressings.
• Storage for employees to store their own clothing, such as coats. This should be in an area of the work premises that is well lit and kept clean.
• Changing facilities. If specialist clothing has to be worn for work activities, there must be enough changing facilities for the number of people expected to use them. These should be readily available, and ensure the privacy of the individual.
• Washing facilities. These must be well lit, ventilated, and kept clean. Washbasins must be provided with hot and cold or warm water.  Where practicable, this should be running water. Facilities must include soap and a means for drying hands.
• An adequate supply of drinking water, which is free from contamination. This must be readily available to employees and others on the premises. Where water cannot be obtained from the public water supply, it should be provided via bottled water dispensers as a secondary supply.

You can find out more information on welfare provisions detailed in the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 in the HSE’s guidance, here. 

Generally, a break room includes a fully-equipped kitchen, including a kettle or tea and coffee machine and comfortable seats and tables. However, it can be beneficial to include some recreational aspects to encourage relaxation such as a bookshelf or a TV, and to enhance the environment with notice boards, photographs, plants, etc. 

It’s important to make sure that break rooms are accessible and an inclusive environment for all employees. Check out our article on How to Promote Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace for more information on this.

We hope you’ve found this article on why rest breaks are important for your business both informative and helpful. If you have any further questions, or wish to find out more information on the topics covered in this article, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at High Speed Training!

Further Resources:

• How to Promote Positive Mental Health in the Workplace
• The Cost of Presenteeism & Why It’s Not Just About Money
• How to Manage Stress at Work
• How to Deal with Anxiety at Work
• Promoting a Positive Health and Safety Culture: A Guide for Managers
• Workplace Health & Wellbeing Quiz
• Resilience in the Workplace: What are the Benefits and How Can Businesses Develop It?
• Health and Wellbeing at Work Training Course
• Menopause Awareness Training Course

The post Rest Breaks at Work: What are the Requirements? appeared first on The Hub | High Speed Training.

In 2021/2 anxiety contributed to 51% of all work-related ill health cases. Whilst this is a concerning figure, it highlights that raising awareness of how to manage anxiety should be a top priority in every workplace.

In this article, we will provide a definition of anxiety and examine the types of workplace anxiety and their symptoms. We’ll also delve into the effects that these can have on daily life at work, and share methods of managing anxiety to help ameliorate its impact. 

Managing Anxiety at Work: Why is it Important?

Anxiety can be defined as a feeling of unease, such as worry or fear, that can be mild or severe. Experiencing anxiety is a normal part of life and can naturally occur at work in scenarios such as preparing for a job interview or presentation. 

People with anxiety disorders, however, have intense and persistent worry or fear about everyday events, such as interactions with co-workers, that can quickly reach an uncontrollable level and consistently impact their daily life.

Whilst anxiety at work can often feel unmanageable, its symptoms can be effectively controlled. It’s important to manage your anxiety as, if left untreated, it can have a huge impact on you and your career; For example, you may fall behind in your current position or start to let your anxiety influence important decisions, such as choosing to turn down opportunities and promotions due to fear around the new responsibilities they would involve. 

The first step in managing your anxiety is to start tracking the moments in your work day that cause the most anxiety, as this will help you discover what your triggers are. Being able to put a name to the feelings you’re experiencing can often be a great help in discovering treatments to help manage your symptoms.

Looking to Learn More?

Our Anxiety Quiz will help you to test your current knowledge of anxiety and start filling in any gaps in your awareness. The quiz also provides some useful tips on how to tackle anxiety, as well as what to avoid.

Types of Work Anxiety

There are several types of anxiety disorders; having an awareness of the signs and symptoms of each will enable you to better identify the specific anxiety felt by yourself or those around you, and help you to understand how to provide support. Here are just a few of the most common anxiety disorders experienced by people at work.

Generalised Anxiety Disorder

Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) usually presents itself as a persistent feeling of dread which can interfere with your daily life. Differently to occasionally worrying about significant events, people with GAD experience frequent anxiety that is often out of proportion with the impact of the things they’re worried about. Symptoms of generalised anxiety disorder include:

• Feeling restless or ‘on edge’.
• Being easily fatigued.
• Irritability.
• Having headaches, or unexplained tension or pains in your muscles or stomach.
• Having trouble sleeping.
• Difficulty controlling feelings of worry.

In the workplace, GAD may manifest itself in an increased feeling of tiredness which makes it difficult to concentrate on your core work tasks. As a result, you may find that you’re missing more deadlines and producing lower quality content. Additionally, GAD may cause you to take more time off work due to an increased number of headaches and general physical discomfort. 

Panic Disorder

People with a panic disorder can experience frequent and unexpected panic attacks, involving intense fear and a feeling of losing control despite a lack of danger or a trigger. During a panic attack, your symptoms may be:

• A racing heartbeat.
• Sweating.
• Trembling or shaking.
• Pain in your chest area.
• Feelings of impending doom or lack of control.

It’s important to note that not everyone who has experienced a panic attack will have a panic disorder. However, if you frequently experience unexpected panic attacks and find yourself worrying about when the next one will occur, it may be wise to seek further medical advice.

Having a panic disorder can make the workplace a very scary place to be as incessantly worrying about a future panic attack can make it difficult to focus on completing work tasks. You may find yourself feeling detached from reality and therefore unable to contribute to group discussions or interactions with co-workers. Additionally, many people suffering from panic disorders find it difficult to do tasks that require fine motor skills, such as writing or typing, due to excessive shaking.

Social Anxiety Disorder

Social anxiety is a very common type of anxiety disorder that is often mistaken for extreme shyness. A person with social anxiety disorder feels intensely worried about being scrutinised or judged in social situations, particularly when speaking in public, meeting new people, or being interviewed. In social situations, or ones where they’re asked to ‘perform’, people with social anxiety often:

• Blush or sweat excessively.
• Feel their mind going blank.
• Have a rigid or tense body posture.
• Find it difficult to make or maintain eye contact.
• Experience an increased or irregular heart rate. 

Being at work often requires many interactions throughout the day with colleagues and superiors. This can be extremely difficult for someone with social anxiety due to the fear surrounding interpersonal interactions, and therefore it’s common to avoid these circumstances, resulting in increased absenteeism. Social anxiety may also get in the way of achieving promotions or taking on new opportunities, as the social and performative interactions that accompany these events, such as interviews, are too anxiety-inducing to attend. 

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

OCD and anxiety disorders have many overlapping symptoms, and are therefore often considered to be connected. OCD is a chronic disorder in which people have uncontrollable obsessions or compulsions that they feel a strong urge to act on and repeat over and over. Some compulsions that people may experience include:

• Excessive cleaning or hand washing.
• Arranging things in a very particular manner.
• Repeatedly checking things, such as that the door is locked or the oven is off.
• Compulsive counting.

Generally, a person with OCD is unable to control these thoughts and behaviours, even when they realise they’re excessive, and they spend at least an hour a day on these rituals despite feeling a lack of pleasure performing them. 

This can have a huge impact on your work life as it’s extremely difficult to focus on a task when you’re constantly trying to battle compulsive thoughts, resulting in it taking longer to complete work. Similarly, it may take time for someone with an OCD to move on from a task as they feel a need to complete their repeated checks before starting something new, and this can take hours. 

Phobias

A phobia is an intense fear of an object or situation which causes high-level anxiety and terror that is out of proportion with the danger surrounding the event. Someone with a phobia is likely to:

• Have irrational but excessive worry about encountering a specific object or scenario.
• Actively avoid the feared object or situation.
• Experience immediate and intense anxiety when encountering the feared object or situation.

Whilst having a phobia to something that is rarely encountered, such as clowns or needles, can be managed relatively easily, someone with a commonplace phobia can find it severely impacting their daily life. 

Certain common phobias such as heights, enclosed spaces, or crowds are likely to be frequently encountered in a work environment. Research shows that people with intense phobias find career progression difficult and struggle to perform in interviews or in pay-rise discussions. Additionally, they are absent from work far more often due to feeling unable to tackle their fears and opting to avoid them instead. Despite this, only 2% of phobia sufferers have discussed their fears with HR, and as few as 7% have chosen to disclose their issues with their manager.

Although this list is not exhaustive, it gives an idea of some of the most prevalent types of anxiety that may be present in the workplace and greatly impact a sufferer’s ability to thrive at work. 

How to Calm Anxiety at Work

Despite anxiety often resulting in a feeling of not being in control, there are many ways to help manage your anxiety at work. Although anxiety may be severely impacting your ability to work at the moment, you may find these strategies useful to getting back on track:

Take breaks when you need to

Stepping away from your work and the workplace environment to clear your head can help to refresh your mindset and help you to refocus. Try using deep-breathing techniques, go for a walk (preferably in nature), or take a holiday for a proper break away. 

Open up

Understandably, asking for help at work can feel difficult. Many cases of ill mental health aren’t reported to HR or managers and therefore can go under the radar. Discussing your anxiety with someone you trust at work and having someone who understands what you’re experiencing can be comforting and help ease some of its symptoms. Read our article on How to Talk about Mental Health to get some tips on how to start these difficult conversations.

Adopt healthy habits

Self care is essential to managing anxiety, as not looking after yourself can compound your symptoms. Getting enough sleep, eating healthily, and exercising are proven to have a hugely positive impact on the mind as well as improving physical health. 

Plan your work 

Take time to plan out the upcoming week so that you know what’s coming in terms of workload. This will help to give you a sense of control over your time which can ease feelings of anxiety. Additionally, breaking tasks down into smaller chunks can make them seem less overwhelming and more easily managed.

Get professional help

If your anxiety symptoms aren’t eased by any of the above and you find that you’re still struggling with your daily activities at work, a GP or mental health specialist will be able to provide access to treatment, whether that be therapy to help identify coping mechanisms, or medication. 

The more we understand about anxiety, the better we will be at tackling its symptoms. Being aware of how, when, and where your mental health might suffer is vital to being able to manage your own anxiety, and provide effective support for others experiencing it. Our Mental Health Awareness course provides a wealth of information to further your understanding. 

Anxiety is an emotion that is experienced by everyone, but if your anxiety is becoming a perpetual and overwhelming feeling that affects your daily life and holds you back at work, you may be experiencing an anxiety disorder. Identifying which type of anxiety you have can be helpful to begin understanding your symptoms. There are many ways of helping to ease your anxiety at work, including making your co-workers aware of your issues. If you’re still struggling, it’s important to seek professional help. Don’t suffer in silence. 

Further Resources:

• Anxiety Quiz
• How to Talk About Mental Health
• Stress Management Activities to Try at Home
• How to Manage Stress at Work
• Workplace Health & Wellbeing Quiz
• How to Support Hidden Disabilities in the Workplace
• What To Do If You Suspect Mental Health Discrimination at Work
• Rest Breaks at Work: What are the Requirements?
• Mental Health Awareness Training Course
• Mental Health Training for Managers

The post How to Deal with Anxiety at Work appeared first on The Hub | High Speed Training.

In this article, we will outline what mental health in the workplace is, along with some of the common struggles you may recognise. We will also cover the importance of mental health awareness and how you can help promote positive mental health at your place of work.

What is Mental Health in the Workplace?

Mental health is different from mental illnesses in that everyone has mental health, but not everyone has a mental illness. To learn more about mental health, read our article on Types of Mental Health.

Your mental health will fluctuate throughout your life from being positive, negative and somewhere in between. It is important to be able to recognise when you are struggling or feeling low so that you can identify how to improve your own mental health. This will also help you to notice and respond when other people are struggling.   

One factor that can affect your mental health is the environment you are in, such as at home or at work. As mentioned, people spend around 35 hours a week at work, so it is important that it is not having a negative effect on your mental health. 

Work can give people an identity, a team, goals to work towards and a structure to everyday life. On the other hand, however, the workplace can also cause stress and worry, which can lead to poor mental health. 

There are a number of reasons why employees might struggle with their mental health at work, including: 

• Persistent pressures.
• Unclear responsibilities. 
• A poor working environment. 

You may notice that a colleague at work is more tired than usual, quieter than usual or making uncharacteristic mistakes. They may be short-tempered, struggling to keep time or unmotivated. All of these signs can suggest that the individual may be struggling with their mental health and it is everyone’s responsibility to respond appropriately. 

Research shows that in 2021/2022, there were an estimated 914,000 workers affected by work-related stress, depression or anxiety. Therefore, it is important that everyone in the workplace knows how to recognise and respond when a colleague is struggling. It is also crucial that employers promote positive mental health in the workplace and support their employees. 

The Importance of Mental Health in the Workplace

People spend a lot of time at work, so ensuring that the workplace is a positive and supportive environment should be a top priority. 

There are a number of benefits to promoting positive mental health in the workplace, including: 

• Increased productivity.
• Improved staff morale.
• High-performing employees.
• Reduced sickness days and staff absence. 
• Improved staff retention and lower staff turnover. 
• Increased innovation. 

As well as promoting positive mental health in the workplace, employers should be equipped to provide support to employees if they are struggling or if issues emerge. As we have outlined, mental health fluctuates throughout our lives. So it is likely that no matter how positive the work environment is, any employee may struggle with their mental health.

Knowledge and awareness of how to recognise and respond to an employee when they are struggling are equally as important as promoting positive mental health. One way to respond if you notice someone is struggling is to talk to them about their mental health. This can sometimes be hard to do, especially with the stigma surrounding mental health, but being open and talking with the individual can make a huge difference and show them that you are there. You can learn more about how to talk about mental health here. 

Looking to Learn More?

Our Mental Health Training Courses are written with experts to provide you with knowledge and awareness of mental health, as well as the necessary skills to support people who are struggling. Take a look at our courses in Mental Health Awareness and Mental Health Awareness for Managers.

How to Support Positive Mental Health at Work

There are many ways that the workplace can promote, encourage and support positive mental health, take a look at the following ideas. 

Start conversations

Encouraging open discussions about mental health can help reduce the stigma and show others that you are there for them. Over time, the topic of mental health will become more and more normal, which will help people feel that they can share when they are struggling. 

Try this: Organise a half an hour one-to-one chat with your team members each month and let them control the conversation. Give each person a chance to talk, whether it’s to ask your advice, get a problem off their chest or simply enjoy a good conversation that they may not have had otherwise. 

Complete mental health training

Training in mental health will help debunk some myths and raise awareness of what mental health is and how you can help others who are struggling. Training can also equip you with tools to help you talk to someone who you think is struggling and educate others. 

Try this: Take a look at our Mental Health Awareness course for employees and Mental Health Awareness for Managers training courses. The courses cover common mental health problems, as well as the symptoms and effects they can have. It also outlines the adjustments you can make to promote positive mental health in the workplace. 

Organise wellness activities

Whilst mental health problems can affect anyone, on any day of the year, dedicating time to wellness activities can help people tune in to how they are feeling and encourage open discussion around mental health. There are many different activities and initiatives you can get involved in or create at work, whether they are full-day activities or 20-minute workshops. 

Try this: Find out when the next wellbeing awareness day or week is and plan a company wide activity or event to mark the date. This could be a workshop, tea break, a fun competition or team-building activity. Anything that will bring attention to the importance of mental health and start discussions around it. 

Assign mental health champions

Mental health champions are a dedicated group of people that can support the organisation’s wellbeing strategy, raise awareness of mental health and provide useful resources for everyone in the company. 

Mental health champions can complete training so that if employees have any questions or concerns regarding mental health, they can reach out to a dedicated mental health champion for support. 

Try this: Put out an advert within the company for recruiting mental health champions to see how many people, and who, would be interested. The advert should include what their role and responsibilities would be as a mental health champion, the aims of the group and what training will be provided to them. 

Promote active listening

Active listening is when you listen with focused intent – when you are truly invested in the speaker and experience empathy towards them. It involves being present and aware, rather than just quiet. Speakers are given the room to explore and assess their thoughts in a safe space. 

Active listening is different to passive listening as it shows you are focused on what the speaker is trying to say. When someone is opening up or talking about their mental health, passive listening and interjections can quickly make them feel as though they are not being heard and will discourage them from talking to you. This can be very damaging if someone is trying to reach out for help or share with you that they are struggling. 

Try this: Next time you have a conversation with someone, rather than thinking about when it will be your turn to speak or thinking about what to say, try to focus on what the person is saying. When they finish speaking, leave a moment for you both to reflect on what has been said before filling the silence by talking. This will give the person space to keep talking if they want to.

Challenge mental health discrimination 

Despite there now being more awareness than ever about mental health, there is still a lot of stigma surrounding it. Everyone has a responsibility to challenge mental health stigma and discrimination. As an employee, you have a right to raise your concerns regarding any mental health discrimination, as an employer you have a responsibility to take necessary action to challenge mental health discrimination. 

Try this: In your next meeting, as an icebreaker activity, make a list of mental health myths and facts. Open a discussion around whether people think the statements are true or false and discuss each one. This will help to start a conversation around mental health stigma and challenge people’s perceptions. 

Encourage breaks

Taking regular breaks is important for our mental health, especially in the workplace. Depending on where you work, this will be easier for some than others, but regular breaks can include going outside, doing some movement or exercise, being away from your screen, doing a five-minute mindfulness activity or meditation and having an informal chat with others. All of these things may seem small, but they can make a huge difference for our mental health.

Try this: As an employer, actively encourage employees to take their annual leave and to take regular breaks throughout the working day. This could be to make a drink, go for a walk or just go outside for some fresh air. Breaks don’t have to be long, even five minutes every hour will help promote positive mental health. As an employee, take your entitled breaks and take full advantage of your annual leave entitlement. 

We hope you have enjoyed reading this article and have a greater awareness of how to promote positive mental health in the workplace. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about the topics covered in this article, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at High Speed Training! 

Further Resources:

• Mental Health Training Courses
• What To Do If You Suspect Mental Health Discrimination at Work
• How to Talk About Mental Health
• Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Quiz
• How to Deal with Anxiety at Work
• How to Manage Stress at Work
• Workplace Health & Wellbeing Quiz
• How to Support Hidden Disabilities in the Workplace
• Rest Breaks at Work: What are the Requirements?

The post How to Promote Positive Mental Health in the Workplace appeared first on The Hub | High Speed Training.

A teacher’s general wellbeing can be heavily influenced by the demands and pressures of the role. It can be affected by conditions relating to both the job and the profession, such as exam board changes, increased workloads and managing behaviour that challenges.

According to a 2019 Ofsted report on teacher wellbeing, ‘self-reported wellbeing at work is generally low or moderate.’ High workload, a lack of work life balance, and a perceived lack of support from leaders were found to be contributing factors to teachers’ wellbeing.  

In this article, we will define teacher wellbeing, outline the state of wellbeing in schools, explain the importance of good teacher wellbeing and provide tips to support teacher mental health in schools.

What is Teacher Wellbeing?

Occupational wellbeing refers to our ability to live our lives as closely as possible to the way we would like to. Good wellbeing at work is associated with meeting potential, developing strong relationships, and doing things we consider important or worthwhile.

Teacher wellbeing relates to all aspects of working life, including the quality and safety of the daily environment, the climate at work and how teachers feel about both their school and the profession. Workload, relationships with colleagues, levels of connectedness and motivation, the work culture and physical environment, and sense of purpose can all help to shape a teacher’s wellbeing.

These elements are interrelated and finely balanced, and are often influenced by the individual’s personal experiences. A report by Leeds Beckett University found that it can often be a crisis in a teacher’s personal life, such as relationship difficulties, family bereavement and childcare issues which ‘tips them over the edge.’

Teachers and headteachers continue to experience increased mental health and wellbeing issues and, according to teaching unions, the impacts are becoming more challenging.

What is the State of Wellbeing in Schools?

Sadly, over a third of England’s teachers who qualified in the last decade have since left the profession, and 17% of teachers in England who qualified since December 2019 left the profession within two years. These figures are even more concerning when considered alongside postgraduate teacher recruitment numbers, which were 29% below target in the 2022/23 academic year.

The ten education unions within the British and Irish Group of Teacher Unions (BIGTU) believe that the long and stressful working hours associated with teaching are causing a recruitment and retention crisis. The Trades Union Congress, the TUC, found in 2022 that, as in previous years, the teaching profession has one of the highest rates of unpaid overtime in the UK. Education unions remain concerned about the impact these conditions are having on teacher wellbeing.

A 2022 survey by the NASUWT, based on data collected from 11,857 teachers in the UK, found that:

• 90% of teachers have experienced more work-related stress in the last 12 months, causing increased anxiety (87%) and sleep loss (82%).
• 91% report that their job has adversely affected their mental health in the last 12 months.
• 64% report that their job has adversely affected their physical health in the last 12 months.  
• 78% report that they do not have access to workspaces that promote wellbeing.

A similar 2022 survey by Education Support concluded that stress, depression and anxiety have all remained at an ‘unsustainably high level’, resulting in long-term health implications for the education workforce.

Why is Teacher Wellbeing Important?

Teacher wellbeing is a vital component in creating healthy and happy schools and colleges. It is important because it:

• Helps to boost morale and productivity.
• Helps to build resilience, leaving staff more equipped to manage their emotions and recognise when they might need to seek help.
• Promotes positive health behaviours.
• Leaves staff feeling more valued, connected and respected.
• Reduces staff absence.
• Influences the wellbeing and mental health of other staff.
• Helps schools and colleges to retain good teachers. (You can find out more about teacher recruitment and retention strategies here.)
• Allows staff to feel more able and confident in supporting their pupils’ wellbeing.  
• Helps to improve educational and mental health outcomes for pupils, as staff who feel cared for and looked after will produce better results. (You can find out more about promoting positive mental health in schools here.)

CPD for Teachers

Find out more about our range of education courses for teachers and support staff. Discover titles such as Child Mental Health Training and Mental Health Training for Teachers (which focuses on the mental health of teachers).

Tips for Supporting Staff Wellbeing in Schools

Employers have a legal duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees. This includes their wellbeing and mental health. Schools should also take reasonable steps to prevent work-related stress. The effectiveness of the school’s measures will be considered as part of Ofsted inspections.

So, what can schools do to support staff wellbeing? Here are our top tips:

Make wellbeing a priority

Senior leaders in schools should be aware of the many benefits of prioritising staff wellbeing – as not doing so can result in substantial human and financial cost. Assessing positive case studies from other schools where staff wellbeing has been prioritised, looking at the financial return in investment, and working with staff to find out what actions they would like to see as part of a wellbeing improvement plan will help leaders to gain a secure understanding of the importance of wellbeing in schools.

Leaders can also use the government’s Education Staff Wellbeing Charter to show staff that they are taking wellbeing seriously. This charter outlines a set of commitments to support the mental health and wellbeing of all those who work in education. The guidance, co-created by education unions, mental health charities and the Department for Education, can be used by leaders at any stage of their staff wellbeing journey. You can find out more about the charter here.

Improve the culture in school

Once senior leaders choose to prioritise employee wellbeing, their vision and goals should be clearly communicated to staff. Creating the mental health and wellbeing policy should be done in collaboration with all staff. This will help to build a sense of belonging and community, where employees feel part of the school’s strategy and mission. It will also help to nurture a psychologically safe and secure workplace, where staff feel valued and cared for.

Working in a supportive, nurturing and inclusive environment has a demonstrable impact on staff wellbeing, so it is vital that all staff treat each other with warmth and respect. Staff working within education have incredibly high standards for the children they work with, whether this be regarding uniform, standards of behaviour or attitude towards learning. All staff, therefore, should aim to uphold these high standards when communicating with one another. It is also vital that children see the values expected of them being modelled by their teachers.

Teaching can be an incredibly rewarding yet demanding role. Being appreciated by senior leaders can be highly beneficial to all those who work in schools. Recognising employee achievements, celebrating individual and joint successes, and acknowledging their continued effort will also help staff to feel more connected and supported within the school community.

Encourage continuous learning

Leaders can help to create a culture in school that prioritises learning, for staff as well as pupils.  

Quality professional development opportunities allow people to look up and out. A journey of continuous learning helps staff to stay informed and inspired. It also provides staff with the confidence and knowledge needed to tackle challenging experiences effectively. Relevant professional development opportunities can also help to boost job satisfaction and allow staff to feel more optimistic about the profession.

Professional development plans can empower staff to develop their skills in areas which are most relevant to their career and interests. You can download a free professional development plan here.

Completing quality mental health training for staff will also help all those working within the school community to prioritise their wellbeing. Training should outline why wellbeing is so important, both personally and professionally, and help staff to recognise the signs which may suggest they need help.

However, 48% of respondents in the aforementioned NASUWT survey stated that their school does not have staff wellbeing/mental health training in place. Providing quality training is a fundamental step if schools wish to feel the benefits of improved staff wellbeing.

Remove the stigma

When the benefits of prioritising staff wellbeing are so clear, it is essential that senior leaders aim to break down any existing stigma attached to mental illness right across the school community. They can do this through professional development opportunities, anti-stigma training for staff, pupils and the wider community, and by sharing information and advice during briefings and whole-staff meetings. Senior leaders can also consider giving staff the opportunity to become wellbeing champions in the school, whose role it is to promote the benefits of self-care and a good work life balance.  

Give staff a voice

Providing people with psychological autonomy can help to support wellbeing. Feeling heard is not only an essential part of an inclusive democracy, it also supports healthy self-development.

Leadership teams in schools should encourage staff to speak up and suggest solutions. As well as giving staff the safe spaces in which to share their ideas, leaders should also aim to validate these ideas and be seen to act upon them where possible.

Leadership teams could begin by conducting staff wellbeing audits to help gauge a sense of their employees’ current wellbeing. Survey feedback could be collected anonymously if leaders are embarking upon a big culture change in school. Communicating broad findings and patterns, and explaining how these will be addressed, will help to build support amongst staff.

It is also important for leaders to nurture a ‘saying no is ok’ ethos. As the teaching profession is multifaceted and encompasses so many duties and responsibilities, staff can easily become overwhelmed if they say yes to everything. Helping staff to recognise when they have ‘reached full capacity’ is vital if leadership teams wish to prioritise staff wellbeing.

Eliminate unnecessary workload

52% of respondents involved in the NASUWT teacher wellbeing survey stated that workload has been the main factor for increased work-related stress.

To help remove unnecessary workload, leaders should focus carefully on what works in their setting. If staff are doing something which has little or no impact, leaders should question its value. They can also give staff the gift of time by removing tick box exercises which do not actively contribute towards the school’s mission. They can review their email policy in order to set clear expectations for what constitutes responsible email use, and check the marking policy to ensure that current practice is impactful and beneficial to pupils.

Provide staff with comfortable areas to take a break

The NASUWT Teacher Wellbeing survey found that 63% of respondents do not have access to a safe and comfortable space to take time out and debrief outside the classroom environment.

Community and connection are key mental health protective factors. Being able to refocus, chat with colleagues, and take some time away from the classroom will help staff to focus on their wellbeing. Providing employees with a dedicated relaxation area also shows staff that leaders are committed to supporting employee mental health.

Embrace flexible working

Flexible working can help staff to gain greater control of their work life balance. Greater flexibility gives employees the chance to better manage their caring responsibilities, pursue other interests and prioritise their wellbeing. Flexible working can help to support the retention of experienced members of staff and reduce staff absenteeism. It can also be an attractive prospect for many future employees.

In research carried out in 2019 by Education Support, 74% of senior leaders who had implemented flexible working in their school felt that these arrangements had helped staff to manage their workload and their work life balance.

There are numerous ways to embrace flexible working in schools, including through part-time working, job share appointments, staggered hours and the school’s on and off-site working policy.

Demonstrate positive wellbeing

In order to fully promote the importance of staff wellbeing, employees should be encouraged to look after themselves. There are numerous ways that leaders can encourage staff to focus on and nurture their wellbeing. This could be through enforcing a ‘no marking’ weekend, setting up a charity walking challenge, sharing healthy recipes, recommending self-care podcasts or simply giving staff the opportunity to reflect upon what they are most proud of so far this term. This last point is particularly poignant as learning to celebrate ourselves and our achievements, however small they may seem, can help to boost our own sense of wellbeing.  

Provide specialist support

In their Supporting Staff Wellbeing in Schools booklet, the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families outlines how schools can improve and respond to staff wellbeing and mental health. Their three-tiered approach allows schools to focus on the universal, everyday measures they are taking to improve staff wellbeing, such as wellbeing policies. More targeted support can be given as and when needed, in the form of additional training or bespoke events or insets. Specialist support should then be given to colleagues who require it. This could be in the form of crisis support, an employee assistance programme or a referral to occupational health.

Prioritising staff wellbeing can have innumerable benefits, from boosting morale and productivity to improving educational outcomes. With the teacher retention crisis and levels of work-related stress continuing to worsen in the UK, prioritising staff wellbeing in schools has never been more important. Encouraging staff voice, creating a culture of continuous learning for all and eliminating unnecessary workloads are just some of the strategies that leaders can implement to help promote and prioritise staff wellbeing.  

Further Resources:

• What is Trauma Informed Practice in Schools?
• Teacher Recruitment and Retention: Importance and Strategies
• What is Effective Questioning & Why Should I Use it in My Classroom?
• Mental Health Training for Teachers
• How to Talk About Mental Health

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