Wellbeing Matters Apr-Jun 21

Health & Wellbeing advice from Medigold Health Recognising work-related stress

Edition: April – June 2021

Dates for your diary Work-related stress, depression or anxiety is a harmful reaction caused by excessive pressures and demands in the workplace.

We all experience pressure at work, sometimes that can be useful for driving us towards achieving targets and to inspire us to produce our best work. However, if that pressure outweighs our coping mechanisms then work-related stress can result.

Stress can affect your wellbeing, the wellbeing of the people you care about and your colleagues. It is important that we are able to recognise what stress looks like and take steps to build our resilience and manage job stress.

Recognising the signs of workrelated stress There are many physical and emotional signs of being highly stressed while at work.

Physical signs can include:  Elevated heart rate/ high blood pressure  Increased sweating  Rushes of energy followed by fatigue  Headache and muscle tension  Chest pain or back pain  Lower immunity to infections  Digestive problems  Weight gain or loss  Sleeping problems  Fainting spells Emotional signs can include:  Depression, despair or hopelessness  Anxiety  Anger, agitation  Feeling insecure and vulnerable  Forgetfulness  Lacking in motivation  Restlessness  Unable to concentrate

01/04/2021 – 30/04/2021 Stress Awareness Month Founded in 1992, Stress Awareness Month aims to increase public awareness about both the causes and cures for the modern stress epidemic.

07/04/2021 World Health Day World Health Day is a celebration aimed to create awareness of a specific health theme to highlight a priority area of concern for the World Health Organization. This year’s theme is: ‘Building a fairer, healthier world’.

17/05/2021 – 24/05/2021 Mental Health Awareness Week Hosted by the Mental Health Foundation, this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week is focussed on the theme of 'Nature'.

Budgeting for beginners

Tackling work-related stress

Do you ever feel like all your money has disappeared the week after payday, and you have no idea where it went? Here are three tips to help you take back control of your salary: Make savings non-negotiable Start thinking of your savings account as another essential bill to be paid – it's non-negotiable, and always comes before any frivolous spending.

Set up a standing order for a fixed amount to go into a high interest savings account on the day you get paid.

All about the bills Factor in your essential bills, like rent and utilities and pay these straight away. You will also have annual expenses to include such as car insurance, divide these by 12 and set aside enough each month so that you're ready when they are due.

Work-related stress doesn’t just disappear when you head home for the day. If you identify with the symptoms on page one, it is important to take some steps to try and manage it before it becomes harmful to both your physical and emotional health. Some ways you can start to manage your stress, include: • Track your stressors Keep a diary for a week or two to identify which situations create the most stress and how you respond to them. Record your thoughts, feelings, and information about the environment, including the people and circumstances involved, the physical setting, and how you reacted. Taking notes can help you find patterns among your stressors and your reactions to them.

Sleep on it Getting enough good-quality sleep is important for effective stress management. Build healthy sleep habits by limiting your caffeine intake late in the day and minimising stimulating activities, such as phone, tablet and television use, at night.

Establish boundaries In today’s digital world, it’s easy to feel pressure to be available 24 hours a day. Establish some work-life boundaries for yourself. That might mean making a rule not to check email from home in the evening, or not answering the phone during dinner.

Creating some clear boundaries between these realms can reduce the potential for work-life conflict and the stress that goes with it.

Let your hair down Now your savings and bills are covered, whatever is left is your disposable income, your ‘fun money'. If there isn't much, have a look at how you can cut back in other areas to free up more cash. Could you switch your utilities to a cheaper deal or cycle to work to reduce travel costs? 🤍 Amey employee support 🤍 As an Amey employee, you have access to Salary Finance who can support you to manage your money. They are an independent service offering financial support including:  Tips and information to help you learn better money habits  Simple savings accounts  Employee loans at affordable rates To find out more visit www.amey.salaryfinance.com

Feeling physically or emotionally overwhelmed When we feel overwhelmed it is usually because it feels like there are too many things going on in our lives and we don’t feel like we have the capacity to manage or control them.

Here are three quick tips for you to use when you feel like everything is getting a bit too much: Be still and quiet - sit somewhere quiet, remove any distractions and just be still. Sitting in silence for just 5minutes is proven to calm the body and still the mind.

Write a list - when you feel overwhelmed with too many tasks simply take a moment to write them down and then prioritise.

Remove distractions – although tempting, don’t avoid the task in hand by mindlessly scrolling through your phone. Put your phone away, as well as anything else that may distract you, until you have completed your tasks.

Are you eating emotionally?

When you’re upset, under stress, or simply just bored, it’s very easy to turn to food. However, comfort eating can have many negative effects on both the mind and body, we have shared some tips to help you identify and manage emotional eating: Identify The next time you reach for a sugary or starchy snack, stop. Ask yourself, ‘Am I really hungry?’ Wait for 20 minutes and then see how you feel. If you are hungry – eat. If you are not hungry, try to identify what you are actually feeling.

Are you bored, sad, stressed, or upset?

You may find it useful to keep a food diary, jotting down not only what you eat, but how you feel beforehand. If you are snacking in response to negative feelings, it’s likely that you’re eating emotionally.

Get to the bottom of it If you have identified the feelings, the next step is to work out what causes them. Has a particular event upset you, making you reach for chocolate? Do you feel bored and lonely in the evenings and snack to fill the time?

Sometimes, simply finding the cause of your feelings can prevent you from acting without thinking.

Out of sight, out of mind When temptation is within reach, it’s hard to resist. Keep snacks out of sight in a cupboard or drawer and try putting post-it notes on the packet of your favourite nibbles saying, ‘Are you actually hungry? ‘ Try and avoid buying foods that you find difficult to stop eating once you start, instead, choose healthy alternatives that you can eat in moderation.

Talk about it It’s not always easy to tackle emotional eating on your own.

Telling your friends, family or even colleagues that you’re trying to cut down on snacks could help support you as you take control of your feelings. In certain cases, however, you may benefit from speaking to a nutrition or emotional wellbeing professional.

24/7 Support & Advice Amey Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), brought to you by Health Assured Sometimes it can be difficult to balance the pressures of work and home life.

Health Assured provide caring support to both you and your immediate family* so you can give your best in life.

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*Health Assured define immediate family members as spouses/partners and children aged 16 to 24 in full time education, living in the same household

Free 24-Hour Confidential Helpline for Amey Employees Call: 0800 130 3414 Visit: healthassuredap.com Username: eap Password: ameywellbeing or download the My Healthy Advantage app from your App store or Android device using the code MHA147812 to register