Going to work can be beneficial to your mental health by providing:
- A steady routine
- A sense of identity
- A source of income
- Along with friendships.
However, workplace stress whether that is from the type of work you are doing, the demand and volume or poor relations with colleagues, can have a very negative impact.
A study commissioned by YouGov to launch Mental Health Awareness week found that of 4,619 Adults surveyed 74% had felt so stressed at some point over the last year that they felt overwhelmed or unable to cope. A whopping 83% of 18-24 year olds claiming this.
If work is affecting your Mental Health, there are steps that you can take to address the problems. Recognising the signs and causes is the best place to start so you know what areas you need to manage.
There are many different coping techniques; it’s about finding the one that works for you. Trying mindfulness, focusing on the here and now, will help you respond in new ways to the situations and looking after your physical health gives all sorts of benefits.
We recently met with a lady called Jill who has a hospitality background as she used to own a corporate events company herself which took groups across the globe for incentives and meetings.
After selling the company, she purchased a small run-down hotel in Yorkshire which she developed into a 33 bedroom property, winning UK’s Best Hotel in England by the AA. The long hours and constant workload took its toll on her health so after selling the Hotel in 2013 she decided it was time to look after herself and started exercising more, joining a local running club. She attended classes at a Yoga & Pilates studio and found that not only did she notice the physical effects but the breathing exercises helped to relieve anxiety and any feelings of pressure
All of this first-hand experience of the demand in the Hotel and Events industry led to Jill opening Ebb & Flow, a Yoga business with over 30 instructors across the country, each have been handpicked to share their knowledge in their own field allowing for sessions with unique theming and content.
It’s a busy studio based near our office in Farnham but for corporates they predominantly focus on bringing the classes to you offering instructors for retreats, sessions between meetings at a venue or in the workplace.
Bespoke teaching videos can be created which can be shown at work or supply to employees to make use of at home.
The classes are endless, ranging from Beginner classes which teach all the essentials including key postures focusing on alignment, stability and the importance of the breath to Candlelit Classes to calm the body and mind that include healing techniques cocooning you with deep sounds and smells peeling away layers of tension and stress.
They even have a Nutrition Specialist who specialises in tiredness, sleeping issues and stress.
She can offer workshops to help you and your team understand health and nutritional subjects such as:
Digestive Complaints for busy people
Brain Health
Nutritional help for depression and anxiety
Her advice is known to improve energy levels, moods and sense of wellbeing.