Mental health – Taboo subject? Not anymore

Sami Glover Sami.Glover@aspen-waite.co.uk

Throughout the last decade the subject of mental health has been prodded and poked with increasing intensity, with many people still feeling ‘uneasy’ at the topic of discussing mental health issues – either their own or other people’s.

But here at Aspen Waite – no more. Let’s talk open and freely about Mental Health and the impact that it has on both our personal and professional lives.

So first of all…

What is mental health?

There are many definitions online, but I think a great embodiment is “a person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being”. Many people see “mental health” as a bad thing – where in fact it actually describes all facets – not just negative ones. A person can have a positive mental health – when they feel safe, happy, supported or loved. It is this positive mental health that we all strive to have every single day, and when we cannot achieve it, we feel ‘unworthy’ and a ‘let down’ to our family and friends. What we forget to tell ourselves is that we are all human – and everyone has those same moments. It is how we are able to cope with those moments that defines how our mental health is affected.

How prevalent are mental health disorders?

• Fifty percent of mental illness begins by age 14, and three-quarters begins by age 241 • One in four adults and one in 10 children experience mental illness, and many more of us know and care for people who do2 • 73% of people living in the lowest household income bracket (less than £1,200 per month) reported having experienced a mental health problem during their lifetime, compared to 59% in the highest household income bracket (more than £3,701 per month)3 • In the UK in 2019, 6,524 people took their own lives4 • Mixed anxiety & depression is the most common mental disorder in Britain, with 7.8% of people meeting criteria for diagnosis5 • Mixed anxiety and depression have been estimated to cause one fifth of days lost from work in Britain6

What type of mental health problems could you be diagnosed with?

There is a myriad of different ‘mental health conditions’ that groups of the population have been diagnosed with. These include conditions such as anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, eating disorders, panic attacks, OCD…. The list goes on. None of these diagnoses are anything to be ashamed of – in fact we should be embracing the diversity that comes with knowing and working with people who have these diagnoses. A lot of people talk about ‘suffering’ from a mental health disorder and it being an ‘issue’. Whilst I agree that sometimes it is very difficult to live with some of these conditions – let’s not box it up and tie it up in a neat bow – people are MORE than a word, and it’s the words that we use that sometime help to define the situation they find themselves in.

How can you help identify someone who might need help?

There are many changes that you could notice which might indicate that someone is suffering from poor mental health – some are obvious and some are not!

• Mood changes/dramatic shifts in emotion • Sleep and/or appetite changes • Change in their normal level of ‘function’ at work or socially • Withdrawal from previously enjoyed activities • Apathy and/or loneliness • Problems with concentration or memory problems

1 https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/ warning-signs-of-mental-illness 2 https://www.england.nhs.uk/mental-health/ 3 Mental Health Foundation. Surviving or

Thriving. London; 2017 4 https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/statistics/ mental-health-statistics-suicide 5 http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg123 6 http://content.digital.nhs.uk/catalogue/

PUB21748/apms-2014-full-rpt.pdf%C2%A0

It was reading this book that inspired me further to take the Real Conversations process developed with Rob Lester to full implementation across the division.

Over many years of working in the corporate world, both Rob and I were tasked to deliver KPIs, not always fully understanding the reason behind that target or the effect we were having on delivering that target.

Poorly engaged or brainwashed into believing we were just doing the right thing for customers, when maybe we were doing the right thing for shareholders or investors. There must be a balance of course, however, our beliefs are firmly placed in empowering our people to be the best they can be through supporting, coaching, developing, and communicating with them, as well as listening to their input and acknowledging their skills.

Working with the team in Wales has been a very interesting project as we have been dealing with a team going through a fast development trajectory with new members and a mix of youth and experience. Turning what can be seen as a daunting prospect “The Appraisal” into a “Real Conversation” takes subtlety and skill, as well as large elements of trust.

Beginning with some very simple discovery conversations allowed us to form pictures of where the team was in terms of their journey and how best to support them with a framework moving forward.

Aspen Waite is a progressive business and has some amazing ideas and projects. Taking this into account, we have worked on a “freedom within a framework” culture during this process. Meaning we set up a framework but gave everyone freedom within that to explore possibilities, opening the team’s eyes to possibilities instead of closing them to tasks.

At every stage, we have reviewed the conversations had and what was learned by ourselves and the way we had conducted conversations each day. The team now have a Personal Development Plan (PDP) they have designed in consultation with their line manager which means they buy into the ownership of the plan, as they manage their own destiny. Allowing them space to have a personal objective in their PDP shows how the business is understanding the different times we all live in and have lived in through the COVID-19 pandemic. It allows them to concentrate on something that they enjoy outside of work and maybe bring that skill to the workplace for others to share and experience.

To underline all of this and to future proof the business in Wales, we have invested in a development program for the team to allow them to develop their skillsets as future leaders and custodians of the Aspen Waite Way for generations to come. As we speak, the team are two workshops into a six workshop program and they are relishing the chance to expand their skills and build a stronger team for the future. There feels like a tangible shift in their purpose, as well as their effectiveness as a team, and this is what pleases us the most.

You are fab. Your are worthy. You are not alone. Don’t be ashamed of who you are.

• Illogical thinking/exaggerated beliefs • Nervousness/Suspicion • Uncharacteristic behaviour patterns • Heightened sensitivity to stimuli such as sounds or smells

How can you try and make positive changes to your mental health? Where can you get help?

Poor mental health is often draining and can squeeze any motivation and drive out of you. Depending on how bad you feel, you may not even be able to get out of bed. There is no ‘magic spell’ to wave away these struggles, but there are some things that you can try and put in place to help prevent poor mental health – and some things that might help you feel like you can cope just that little bit better. 1. Talking to family, friends, colleagues or trained professionals can sometimes help your mind process thoughts and feelings and sometimes help you find perspective that cannot be found on your own 2. Regular exercise – this increases the level of endorphins in your body, can help boost your self esteem and can help you sleep better and concentrate for longer 3. Eat well – vitamins and minerals play a huge part in the regulation of mechanisms in our body, so make sure it is fed properly 4. Take a short break from whatever you are doing – break up activities with something you enjoy doing and give yourself some ‘me-time’ 5. Drink sensibly – alcohol might seem like a good idea at the time to deal with unchecked emotions and loneliness, but it is only temporary and can be a dangerous coping mechanism 6. Accept who you are – just because you might be struggling at certain points, does not make you any less important or a ‘waste of space’ – people love you for who you are, not what you think you should be 7. Avoid triggers if you can – try not to put yourself in situations which can be particularly distressing for you 8. Take care of others – love and compassion really is a two way street – sometimes lifting your friends spirits can do wonders for how you feel too 9. Do something you are good at – enjoying yourself is a great stress buster, and it can also be a fab reminder that you are pretty epic and you are worthy! 10.Stick to a routine – even if you are signed off of work or it is the weekend, it is still really important to keep the routine of your daily life going. Set the alarm for the same time as usual, have a shower, brush your teeth, call your mum, go for a walk –

stimulating the brain in ‘regular’ ways can stop your brain going into ‘overload’ with emotions 11. Ask for help – do not suffer in silence, there are so many people out there who might be experiencing the same thoughts and feelings as you, and also lots who have made a step on the journey of recovery from them too…

• Speak to your GP - although GP’s are not specialised practitioners for mental health services, they are the perfect conduit to figure out the best way to proceed with treatment as an immediate response • Try to access NHS psychological therapies service in your area: https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/finda-psychological-therapies-service/ • Speak to services such as the Samaritans if you are in urgent need of support, or call your local

Crisis team hotline • For supporting colleagues in work (or even for colleagues themselves), Right Direction has some really good tools, factsheets and webinars which can be adopted by all in the professional environment: https://www.rightdirectionforme. com/ • Mind is one of the UK’s largest mental health charities who support thousands of people (and their loved ones) every single day. In 2019-2020 their mental health information online was accessed 18 million times https://www.mind.org.uk/ • Aspen Waite have their very own Mental Health

First Aiders – Darren Talbot and Rhona Hope – who are available for a confidential chat any time.

They can signpost you to help or maybe just help you identify something you didn’t realise just by being a listening ear • Aspen Waite also provides all of their employees with access to the 24/7/365 Employee Assistance service. This service can provide advice and counselling support on a range of services – you can access the EA portal through AMIGO

So, all in all...

YOU ARE FAB. YOU ARE WORTHY. YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

By Sami Glover, Bipolar Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder and Anxiety Warrior