National Stress Awareness Day

The first Wednesday in November each year is National Stress Awareness Day.

We all know what it is like to feel stressed – being under pressure is usually a normal part of life.
But this year more than ever, especially as we head into another national lockdown, some of us are finding ourselves overwhelmed by stress.
This can lead to mental health problems or exacerbate existing problems, cause exhaustion, physical illness and impact on every aspect of life.

Following on from World Mental Health Day we wanted to continue the theme of “Do One Thing” but shift our focus specifically to workplace wellbeing. National Stress Awareness Day, with support from Manchester Mind, gives us the opportunity to think about our wellbeing and find advice or support on managing stress.

Here are a few ideas to help you think about what you can do to support your own wellbeing and that of your colleagues:

• Working from home tips

Many of us are once again working from home, or are continuing to work from home due to the ongoing pandemic. The implications of this on our wellbeing are far reaching as our work/ life balance becomes harder to maintain because we are living at work. It is important to try to separate the two areas of your life especially if you have fallen into bad habits like not taking regular breaks, forgetting to go outside for fresh air, not eating properly or working extra hours.
Check out Manchester Mind’s top tips for working from home.

• Maintaining good communication with your colleagues

By now many of us are set up to work from home and communicate with colleagues on a daily basis through the wonders (or should that be horrors) of Zoom, Microsoft Teams etc. But some of us are missing the face-to-face interaction. If you notice that one of your colleagues has become increasingly withdrawn why not drop them a message and check how they are? Sometimes a quick hello can make all the difference.

• Create a (virtual) stress awareness space

For us to maintain our wellbeing, noticing what is making us stressed helps us learn how we can deal with it. This is particularly important when it relates to our workload and our working relationships, both of which are common causes of stress. It may not be so easy if you are working from home but why not create a Stress Awareness Space? A virtual space where staff can share their thoughts and feelings when they are feeling stressed and share coping strategies. By sharing you could get some great advice and tips or find you can support other colleagues who need help (like sharing some of the ideas listed here).

• Workplace wellbeing training

Mental health problems should not be a barrier to someone having a productive and fulfilling work life and employers are increasingly recognising the need for mental health training for their teams.
Why not become a workplace wellbeing champion? Manchester Mind can help you through their range of courses which include Mental Health Awareness, Mental Health First Aid and Mental Health Taster for Managers. PRFam members are entitled to a 10% discount on all courses by quoting PRFam10 when booking.

Limited time discounted offer – Finding a Healthy Balance: Managing Stress, and Building Healthy Habits

This online course from Manchester Mind provides an introduction to wellbeing and some basic strategies for achieving balance and managing stress in our own lives.

Available for up to 16 participants at the reduced total rate of £200 plus VAT for all bookings in November and December 2020.

• Looking after your own wellbeing

You can find out more about stress and how to manage stress via the Mind website.
If you need to talk to someone confidentially you can call national Mind on 0300 123 3393 (Monday to Friday) or access immediate help by calling the Samaritans on 116 123 or text SHOUT to 85258 for 24/7 text support.

As you know, at Primordial Radio we take Mental Health seriously.
One of the six pillars we base ourselves on includes Mental Health.
All year round.

If you missed the Primordial Radio Mental Health Pledge, the Mental Health FAQ or #doonething – have a look here