Mental Health Awareness Week
This week is the Mental Health Foundation’s Mental Health Awareness Week. This year, the focus is on stress. Mando Solutions believes in maintaining an open dialogue regarding mental health awareness. This is especially important for two main reasons: We work with the mineral exctractives industry and those who work with Mando are predominantly male. It was revealed in March 2017 that those working in the construction industry are at the greatest risk of suicide and of all UK suicides, 75% are by men aged below 45. It is therefore imperative that Mando creates a communicative space for us all to discuss our mental health so that we can identify any changes in our wellbeing and how we can work collectively to lessen the stresses we experience in the workplace.
Changes in the mental health of yourself and those around you can sometimes be hard to identify and can easily be misinterpreted as rudeness or just a ‘bad mood’. However, if these signs are consistent over a period of time, it can be a strong indicator that there are issues with mental health. These signs can be changes in behaviour, moods, the ability to focus, work outputs and difficulty with decision making. Signs can also be physical – struggling to sleep, grinding your teeth, chest pains, hyperventilating and many other physical changes can come with changes in your mental health.
It’s important that these are recognised as soon as possible. If you find yourself experiencing these changes, there are many small ways in which you can try to help yourself:
Take some time for yourself
Do something you love doing and put yourself first for a while
Keep in touch with those around you
It is essential that you keep in contact with family and friend so that they can have a greater understanding on how to help you improve your mental health. It’s essential to not isolate yourself from the world – You’re never alone in experiencing poor mental health and help is all around you.
Take care of your physical well-being
Keep active in any way possible. This can be going for a walk, lifting some weights or even dancing to the radio in the morning. Planning healthier meals ahead seems like a lot of effort, but eating well can help to feel well. Cut down on alcohol alcohol acts as a depressant.
Reward yourself
Remember: Small victories are still victories. Any progress you make with your mental health is a big step towards bettering yourself.
Sleep
Easier said than done, but finding ways to improve your sleep will have a huge impact on your day.
What are your options?
There are many people out there who want to listen and help you with your problems. If you aren’t in a position to seek professional help but feel comfortable in doing so, speak to your family and friends. If speaking to those around you is not an option, there are charities and private organisations that are here to help and offer professional guidance. There are also self-help guides such as mindfulness and CBT techniques to help with any issues you are addressing.
Talk to your employer
Sometimes life can feel like it’s getting on top of you and this can impact your work output. When times get tough, make sure to communicate with your employer about your experiences so that they can understand how to support you in the best way possible. There is no weakness in working on your mental health and we at Mando encourage all employees and operators to treat their mental health with the same diligence as their physical health. It’s our priority to make sure that you operate safely on site and go home safely at the end of the day.
