Health & Wellbeing
Socially we are more aware and prepared to talk about some of the many challenges that stop us from being fulfilled, content and/or happy. Much has been written and talked about Health & well-being, the SIO are not claiming to be experts or have all the answers, we are aiming to provide you with access to some information and tools that we hope will find useful:
Mind & Mission have produced material that provides you with some context and an introduction to the typical labels that are used and some practical tools that can help you to better understand and appreciate how you may be feeling and some practical steps on when to seek help and what to do.
Recover-app has a 15-minute practical webinar highlighting some of the high-level science and some basic techniques that can help you to relax.
Ditch the Label is an international anti-bullying organisation and one of the largest pro-equality and anti-bullying charities in the world. Their award-winning work spans the UK, USA and Mexico; promoting equality and empowering people aged 12-25 to overcome bullying. Ditch the Label are a digital charity, which means that most of their support is provided online through their website offering a wealth of useful materials.
Mind and Mission
Within these factsheets you will also see links to some worksheets and MP3 recordings – these are there to help support YOU on your personal path.
As you start your learning, it is important to understand that no two experiences of mental health issues are the same, they are personal to each individual. Never compare yourself to someone else – you are unique.
As part of these factsheets we have tried to highlight symptoms that you/others may be experiences, not only in terms of how you/others may be feeling but also in terms of how you/others may find yourself/them behaving and any physical symptoms you/others may be experiencing too.
As you read through, you may find there is overlap in the symptoms between stress, anxiety and depression and you would be right. This is why we would never advocate self-diagnosis – yes, we can give you some basic facts about these conditions but our recommendation would always be – if you are concerned about your mental health seek help as soon as possible (see When and How to Seek Help).
The good news is that there are things you can do RIGHT NOW to avoid exacerbating symptoms and you can look at that in more detail when you read the Self-Help factsheet.
If at any point in time you have any questions, you are more than welcome to email Louise@mindandmission.com
An Introduction to Mental Health
The adjective “mental” means mind. The word alone seems to make people uncomfortable when it’s linked with the word illness. We don't seem to want to think about having illness of the mind.
We all have mental health. When we have a positive mental health, we are able to embrace life and deal with the challenges it throws your way. Our mental health allows us to live an extraordinary life where we feel challenged and ready to fulfil our potential. Mental health is about being able to process feelings and emotions on good and bad days and make the right decision for everyone’s needs at a moment in time. Our mental health determines our ability to interact socially and professionally with others and form healthy and appropriate relationships.
When our mental health becomes temporarily displaced, all of this becomes difficult and small everyday activities and tasks can feel impossible. Poor mental health can affect our overall wellbeing, including our physical health.
When we suffer from poor mental health, we are not able to just switch it off when we go to work – and no one should have that expectation of you. What we do tend to do though is hide it by putting on our work persona, hoping no-one will notice.
That is where things can start to go wrong – work is known to exacerbate symptoms. A recent study by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found mental health issues are made worse by workload (44%), lack of support – usually from managers (14%), violence, threats or bullying (13%), organisational change (8%) and other issues (21%).
It is not easy for anyone to recognise the signs of mental health issues, so if we are not more open about mental health issues and rid organisations of the stigmas and misconceptions these statistics are only likely to get worse. Nobody just instinctively knows that someone is suffering from a mental health illness, they may suspect but maybe too afraid of what they will hear if they ask and subsequently what they will need to do – they may not know how to handle the situation.
Through education, providing a supportive working environment that has proactive measures and processes in place and role modelling attitudes and behaviours YOU can change your organisation’s culture for the better.
Mental health issues are not going away.
The statistics on mental health in the workplace have become alarming, with 1 in 4 of us now suffering from poor mental health each year. The HSE suggest that around 15 million work days were lost last year due to work-related stress, anxiety or depression. Mostly alarming is the statistic that 95% of employees who took time off due to stress named another reason. This tells us that the issue of stigma is very much one of the main barriers to improving our mental health.
By law, the workplace is obliged to:
Create policies and procedures covering mental health;
Create “suitable and sufficient” risk assessments; and
Make reasonable adjustment to the workplace
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR AT WORK
As discussed above we know that the signs of mental health at work may not be obvious, however being aware of the common things to look out for may help you in your day to day working life and may potentially allow you to support others.
YOU should look out for:
Feelings of negativity about the world and/or self
Indecision
Isolating from friends and colleagues
Nerves / anxiety which are explainable or not
Difficulty concentrating
Eating more or less
Self-medicating
Difficulty sleeping
Managers should look out for in general:
Arguments
Higher than normal staff turnover
Reports of stress
Sickness
Low productivity
Poor performance
Complaints/grievances
And in their employees:
Taking more time off than usual
Late for work
Low mood or withdrawn
Nervous
Change of personality
Lack of motivation
Emotional reactions
Stress at Work
STRESS is “A state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances”. It is a response to daily pressures, where an individual can associate feelings of frustration, anger and nervousness. Usually an individual can identify the cause of the stress and the symptoms reduce and even disappear when the cause is eliminated.
Stress is our bodies natural reaction to fear or change. Some levels of stress are perfectly normal. It is common for stress to come from an external cause like work (being overloaded or long hours), having to make a speech or not dealing with a relationship issue. It has also been proven that stress is a learned behaviour. People can pick up stressed behaviours from their parents, often finding themselves stressed by the same things their parents got stressed by. There are 6 different types of stress:
Hypostress – when a person is bored or under stimulated;
Eustress – positive stress that is short term and helps us complete a task;
Acute Stress – this stress starts to physically affect the body and lasts for approximately 6 weeks
Episodic Acute Stress – a longer term stress which can have serious health implications such as migraines or heart attacks.
Chronic Stress – Long terms stress which can last for years before it is brought under control.
Traumatic Stress – long term stress created by an external seriously stressful incident – most associated as Post Traumatic Stress.
Work related stress is caused or existing stress is made worse by the demands being placed upon them in the work environment. Work-related stress can be a significant cause of illness for the individuals concerned and is known to be linked with high levels of sickness absence, staff turnover, as well as other issues from more errors in daily tasks through to an increased number of employment tribunals. (Health & Safety Executive, 2017).
Work-related stress can happen to anyone, irrespective of their level or grade within an organisation. Not confined to a particular working sector, work-related stress is becoming a population wide issue.
Work-related stress is becoming a major problem for all organisations.
What are the symptoms?
If you are suffering from stress, you may be affected both mentally and physically, impacting your everyday life. You may relate to some or all of the symptoms described below.
You may find yourself feeling:
Sad, irritable, confused, angry, aggressive, tearful
Anxious, afraid, fearful, afraid
Sleep deprived
A sense of dread
Overwhelmed by the daily tasks that you need to do
You have lost interest in things that you to make you happy
Your mind is racing out of control
Alone
You may notice changes in your usual behaviour. For example, you may find yourself:
Rushing around madly but doing nothing
Unable to make decisions
Worrying incessantly
Biting your nails or fingers
Pulling at your hair · Unable to concentrate on tasks
Eating too much or too little
Drinking more coffee or alcohol
Smoking more than usual
Forcing a smile to hide how you feel
Sitting with your head down staring at the computer screen or your desk not knowing what to do
Avoiding situations and/or people that increase your symptoms
Disappearing to the bathrooms to hide and cry
There are physical symptoms too, and if you experience any of them that can just increase your stress levels further. You may find yourself:
Short of breath or hyperventilating
Experiencing a panic attack
Having headaches
Having tense muscles, causing pain
Feeling completely exhausted all of the time
Experiencing chest pain
Having high blood pressure
Feeling sick, dizzy, faint or panicked
Having sleep problems – can’t sleep, can’t wake up or having nightmares
This is not an exhaustive list of symptoms.
You may also like to complete our simple Stress Inventory – this worksheet will allow you to consider to what extent your stress levels have risen. The Stress Inventory will prompt you to seek help if appropriate, but remember if you are concerned about your levels of stress, please refer to our fact sheet on “When and How to Seek Help”.
Anxiety
ANXIETY is “a nervous disorder marked by excessive uneasiness and apprehension, typically with compulsive behaviour or panic attacks” (English Oxford Dictionary, 2016).
Anxiety is stress that continues after the original cause of the stress has gone or when an individual is subjected to long term stress. The individual becomes scared and apprehensive of what might happen in the future (the next minute, hour or even days). Symptoms can manifest themselves in physical problems like pain, dizziness and anxiety attacks. When an individual suffers from anxiety, they are not always able to identify the cause. In some ways, anxiety can be a positive thing. It can help us react in a survival situation when faced with danger (fight or flight mode). The problem with anxiety begins when our belief system takes over. Our subconscious can misrepresent a memory or an incident as always being a threat. For example, if someone experiences a bad relationship with their line manager, perhaps they have felt bullied by them in the past, going forward they may fear all relationships with Line Managers, dreading any encounter with them, particularly weekly or monthly 121s.
This build-up of fear and anxiety came be maintained by a number of factors:
1. A feeling of loss of control over any situation or task (either at home or at work) – see the worksheet: what-i-can-control.pdf
2. An inability to understand the problem
3. Lack of problem-solving skills
4. Negative thinking about self or others
5. Unresolved trauma
6. Actually, fearing the possibility of having an anxiety attack more than the actual trigger of the attack
What are the symptoms?
If you are suffering from anxiety, you may be affected both mentally and physically, impacting your everyday lives. Remember everyone experiences anxiety differently, you may relate to some or all of the symptoms below.
You may find yourself feeling:
Restless · Irritable, confused, tearful
Sleep Deprived
Sick
Sweaty and/or hot
A sense of dread or can’t stop worrying
Afraid or fearful · Alone
Overwhelmed by events
You may notice changes in your usual behaviour. For example, you may find yourself:
Needing reassurances from everyone
Unable to make decisions
Worrying incessantly
Biting your nails or fingers
Pulling at your hair
Unable to concentrate on tasks
Eating too much or too little
Drinking more coffee or alcohol
Smoking more than usual
Forcing a smile to hide how you feel
Sitting with your head down staring at the computer screen or your desk not knowing what to do
Avoiding situations and/or people, fearing what will happen
There are physical symptoms too, and if you experience any of them that can just increase your stress levels further. You may find yourself:
Short of breath or hyperventilating
Experiencing a panic attack
Having headaches
Having tense muscles, causing pain
Feeling completely exhausted all of the time
Experiencing chest pain
Having high blood pressure
Feeling sick, dizzy, faint or panicked
Feeling disconnected from your body or environment
Needing the toilet more or less frequently
Having sleep problems – can’t sleep, can’t wake up or having nightmares
Depression
Depression is not only a serious, but very common condition and can present itself in varying degrees of seriousness. You may believe you understand what depression is and may even have described yourself and “feeling depressed” in the past. Depression is so complicated that there is no official concise or useful explanation of what depression is.
Depression is most closely linked with sadness, with sufferers describing experiencing the depths of despair and misery and many having regular suicidal thoughts.
Research has found that anywhere between 3% - 22% of the population suffer from depression – the startling spread is due to the fact that far too many people go undiagnosed, due to the fact that by its very nature those suffering are less inclined to seek help. Depression can be diagnosed in any age groups from children to the elderly – it does not discriminate. It has been found to be more common in women, but the cases of men diagnosed is rising.
There are thought to be two categories of depression. The first is believed to be trigger by a biological source – most likely chemical/hormonal. The second is thought to be triggered by an external event (usually traumatic) in someone’s life. For example, being made redundant.
To complicate things further there are many types of depression. Below are some of the more common forms you find:
Mild Depression – this would not stop a person engaging in life but would make it feel so much harder.
Major Depression – one of the most common forms. Sufferers loose interested in everything and everyone around them. Diagnosis would be made, by a doctor, when a person has remained in a state of uninterest for at least a two-week period.
Atypical Depression – unlike major depression, a suffer does experience periods of time when they are able to engage and experience happiness.
Bipolar Disorder – this is characterised by feelings of extreme highs and lows. This is severe than simply mood swings and shifts in moods can be extremely rapid as well as slow and infrequent. This is usually treated as a clinical condition and supported through medication allowing sufferers to reach their full potential and achieve a desired quality of life.
Unipolar Depression – sufferers remain melancholic and never experience happiness or highs.
Psychotic Depression – sufferers experience hallucinations and report hearing things. Generally, what they see and hear are frightening and negative in nature.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) – sufferers find their mood affected by seasons in the year, which are worsened by winter months.
Postnatal Depression – not to be confused with the baby blues, this form of depression usually develops in the first 4 – 6 weeks after childbirth, but there are cases of it developing sometimes months later.
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder – symptoms are cyclical within the menstrual cycle.
What are the symptoms?
If you are suffering from stress, you may be affected both mentally and physically, impacting your everyday life. You may relate to some or all of the symptoms described below.
You may find yourself feeling:
Sad, irritable, tearful
Anxious
Guilty
Pessimistic
Constantly exhausted
Thinking negatively about everyone and everything
Suicidal · Alone
Worthless – that life has no meaning
You may notice changes in your usual behaviour. For example, you may find yourself:
With no interest to do anything
Not enjoying activities that you used to enjoy
Losing the ability to concentrate
Unable to make decisions
Neglecting your appearance
Neglecting responsibilities that you have
Neglecting your hygiene
Drinking more coffee or alcohol
Smoking more than usual
Lost interest in sex
There are physical symptoms too, you may find yourself:
Lethargic
Having stomach aches
Having headaches
Having inexplicable pains
Wanting to sleep all the time
Not able to sleep
Eating more
Eating less
Moving or speaking more slowly than usual
When and How to Seek Help
There is never a right or wrong time to seek help if you are worried you could be suffering from Stress, Anxiety or Depression – or if you have any concerns whatsoever about your mental health. BUT is has been proven that the sooner you seek help the quicker and easier it is to make a full recovery.
Many organisations will encourage you to speak to HR or to your line manager, but we recognise that they may be the last people you want to speak to – at least for now. Speaking to someone with your organisation can be a really difficult thing to do, especially while stigmas are still attached to mental health and we fear the consequences. You may need to speak to them at some point, but only you will know when it is appropriate to do that.
Your organisation may be different to the majority and you may feel you can talk to HR or your line manager – this is absolutely fantastic – talk to them!!
BUT practically what alternatives are there? The most important thing you can do is speak to someone – ANYONE!
Speak to a family member
Speak to a friend
Speak to your GP
Speak to a counsellor
Speak to one of the support charities (see below)
Sharing how you feel is so critical – the simple act of talking about how you feel will begin the therapeutic road to recovery.
Charities and mental health support
There are many organisations and groups offering support, some of which will be very local to you (your GP can provide more details), but here are some of the most well-known for supporting people like YOU.
Mind - Information and support on mental health - https://www.mind.org.uk/
Samaritans – 24 hour helpline for information and support - Whatever you're going through, call free any time, from any phone, on 116 123 or https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/
Time to change – mental health awareness and campaign to end discrimination - https://www.time-to-change.org.uk/
Self Help
There is so much you can do for yourself to help improve your mental health and overall wellbeing. Below are just a few recommendations. For more pointers check our Blog page on www.mentalhealthresponse.co.uk each Friday for our “Friday Facts” feature.
1. Get a good night’s sleep
Sleep allows your body and brain to repair itself. The brain needs to process and store all the experiences for that day. Studies show that adults on average require between 7 and 9 hours sleep per night and lack of sleep can result in lowered immune system, irritability, lowered cognitive ability and extreme emotional states. It has also been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure and stroke.
So how do you get the best night’s sleep?
Have a bedtime routine
Ideally start your routine approximately 60 minutes before you want to be sleeping. If you are too tired to go to bed then it’s too late, you are already overtired and may have problems getting to sleep. In other words, you end up on the sofa watching TV until the early hours because you can’t be bothered to get up and go to bed.
Reduce caffeine
Studies have shown that caffeine can stay in the system for up to 12 hours. Some medication such as cold and flu tablets contain caffeine as does chocolate, protein bars and ice cream. It will depend on how your own body processes caffeine but, ideally no caffeine from mid-afternoon.
Warm milk and a biscuit
It’s true! Warm milk is sleep promoting because it contains tryptophan. Others include bananas, oats and honey. Carbohydrates also complement sleep therefore a night-time snack of cereal and milk or bread and cheese might help (remember though it’s a snack not a meal).
Avoid spicy food and high proteins
Your digestive system automatically slows down in the evening and is therefore unable to cope with food requiring high digestive function. High fat food has been shown to disrupt sleep cycles and high proteins contains amino acids which promote brain activity.
Avoid alcohol
Despite alcohol giving the sense of being “knocked out” it is in fact disrupting your normal sleep cycle. You will likely wake up more frequently, potentially dehydrated with headaches or night sweats. Balancing with water will dilute its effects or ideally avoid.
Beware of OTC medication
Over-the-counter sleep medication is meant for short term use only. The most common contain antihistamine with pain relievers and sometimes alcohol. The sedating properties can sometimes last well into the next day and in the long term can cause headaches and forgetfulness. Other potential side effects include dizziness, feeling off balance, constipation, blurred vision, dry mouth and nausea. They say short term for a reason!
Technology ban!
You know it already. The light source from the TV, tablet or phone stimulates the brain, not to mention whatever you are watching. Choose reading, tidying up, listening to music or plan a holiday. Do what you do for your kids, you wouldn’t want them wound up before bed so why do it yourself?
Exercise
It’s an obvious one. Physical exercise will tire you out but will also use up any of those stress chemicals you might have still in your system. Don’t exercise too close to bedtime though, about 1 hour before is close enough.
Bedroom layout
Think about your mattress comfort, pillow and room temperature (16 degrees is ideal). The room should be dark to ensure your brain knows its sleep time as it triggers melatonin. If there are noises, consider using ear plugs.
Daylight exposure
In the morning, get some daylight exposure as quickly as possible, open the curtains as soon as you get up to regulate your body clock.
2. Know how much you are drinking
Alcohol will impact your mental health and it is important to be aware of how much you are drinking. You may be surprised at how much the alcohol content of wine varies depending on the type and ABV. Here a rough guide.
Wine
One 125ml glass of wine is not 1 unit it’s 1.5 and contains about 90 calories. We don’t drink small glasses though do we? A large 250ml glass is 3 units and roughly 180 calories, if you regularly polish off a bottle at the weekend (or even in a night) that’s 9 units and 531 calories. Really important here that’s for a bottle of wine at 12%. If you go up to 14% ABV then it’s nearly 11 units and 630 calories. So, the lower the ABV per bottle the less calorific it is - good to note.
Champagne
We all like a little fizz in our lives. A 12% ABV 125ml glass of Moët is 1.5 units but more calories than wine at 95. So, a bottle of fizz on a night out is still 9 units but 40 calories more than a bottle of wine.
Beer
A pint of Carling, John Smiths, Guinness or Foster’s at 4% ABV will set you back 2.3 units and 180 calories. A bottle of Grolsh, Bud, Beck’s or Peroni at 5% ABV is 1.7 units per bottle and 134 calories. So, going out for a ‘few’ pints is 25% of a mans daily recommended calorie intake.
Cider
A pint of cider such as Magners or Strongbow is 2.6 units and 216 calories, ouch, higher than beer.
Spirits
A 25ml measure of Gin, Vodka or Bacardi is 0.9 units and 52 calories. Depending on what you mix it with, it can be a low unit and low-calorie option it’s certainly not a reason to drink more. Dark spirits such as Captain Morgans rum at 40% alcohol is a full unit and 61 calories.
Hope that’s been useful and remember the recommended limit is 14 units per week.
www.drinkaware.co.uk - visit the website and download the app to track and calculate units.
STAY SAFE AND DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE
3. And for the Smokers out there
If you stop smoking right now...
Within 20 minutes, your blood pressure and heart rate drop
Within 12 hours, the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal
In 3 months, your circulation and lung function improve
In 9 months, you will cough less and breathe easier
After 12 months your risk of coronary heart disease is cut in half
After 5 years your risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, oesophagus and bladder are cut in half
After 10 years you are half as likely to die from lung cancer. Your risk of larynx or pancreatic cancer decreases
After 15 years your risk of coronary heart disease is the same as a non-smoker