Take stock of your current emotion

Taking stock of your current feelings and emotion is a given before you can set out to restore yourself to where you want to be. It is imperative that you always have a pen and notebook to hand to jot down those fluctuating states of mind so that you can deal with them. Reducing feelings to writing helps with creating a balance between understanding and resolution. It is going to take some inner soul searching and in-depth honesty to deal with it. It is of no personal value to yourself both mentally and physically to beat yourself up about all life’s difficulties. So often we create these situations ourselves without realising how much self -harm we cause and often irreparable damage that comes with it. The thing is that it is not only the harm we do ourselves but also to the people round us. That is something that we should never lose sight of in the future. After all, if they genuinely mean something to you then why do you want to hurt them physically or emotionally? The question is posed then why we seem to have that self-destruct button tucked away somewhere and cannot wait to press it at a moment’s notice. What is that “something” that invokes an emotion that suddenly overwhelms our internal thoughts and says “go on …. Press it now. “That demon that takes hold and will not let go no matter how hard you try.

Unsupported work related changes-effects on the employee

Case study- "Work-related stress in a 43 year old male local authority employee. Earlier this year all of his department were advised that they had to reapply for their posts, and he was retained but on a temporary contract in a different location. Surgery for keratoconus in 1992 left him sensitive to bright light and with difficulties driving at night. In his previous post the workstation had been adapted to meet his visual requirements and the location had meant he had little night driving in wintertime. Requests to his new line manager for occupational health input in view of his medical condition were declined. Over a period of a few weeks he developed sleeping difficulties and felt exhausted. He found it difficult to concentrate at work and was noted to be increasingly irritable at home. When initially seen he had a tachycardia and raised blood pressure. He was signed off work and on review after two weeks was feeling much better and his pulse and BP had returned to normal. After a further two weeks he was able to return to work with occupational health input. A constructive meeting with senior management took place and it was arranged for him to return to his original location and duties under new line management, with all adjustments to be undertaken and checked before his return. Job insecurity, insensitive management and low personal “control” are some of the factors involved in work related stress. A change in behaviour can often be the presenting symptom of stress. The abnormal physiological response associated with stress can be reversible on dealing with the background issues. He had always found his work to be enjoyable and is doing so once more."

Work -related stress-HSE stats and information

The extract below makes one think about the stress and stressors in the work place.One of the most difficult environments to work in is the education sector.I have witnessed many colleagues breaking down due to the overwhelming daily tasks and stressors that present itself with little or no support. "Work-related stress, depression or anxiety is defined as a harmful reaction people have to undue pressures and demands placed on them at work. The latest estimates from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) show: The total number of cases of work related stress, depression or anxiety in 2017/18 was 595,000, a prevalence rate of 1,800 per 100,000 workers. This was not statistically significantly different from the previous period. The rate of work related stress depression and anxiety was broadly flat but has shown signs of increasing in recent years. The number of new cases was 239,000, an incidence rate of 720 per 100,000 workers. The total number of working days lost due to this condition in 2017/18 was 15.4 million days. This equated to an average of 25.8 days lost per case. Working days lost per worker due to self reported work-related stress, depression or anxiety shows no clear long term trend. In 2017/18 stress, depression or anxiety accounted for 44% of all work-related ill health cases and 57% of all working days lost due to ill health. Stress, depression or anxiety is more prevalent in public service industries, such as education; health and social care; and public administration and defence. By occupation, professional occupations that are common across public service industries (such as healthcare workers; teaching professionals and public service professionals) show higher levels of stress as compared to all jobs. The main work factors cited by respondents as causing work related stress, depression or anxiety were workload pressures, including tight deadlines and too much responsibility and a lack of managerial support (2009/10-2011/12)"

5 Ways Bosses Can Reduce the Stigma of Mental Health at Work

5 Ways Bosses Can Reduce the Stigma of Mental Health at Work Diana O'BrienJen Fisher FEBRUARY 19, 2019 Experts tell us that one in four adults will struggle with a mental health issue during his or her lifetime. At work, those suffering — from clinical conditions or more minor ones — often hide it for fear that they may face discrimination from peers or even bosses. These stigmas can and must be overcome. But it takes more than policies set at the top. It also requires empathetic action from managers on the ground. We count ourselves among those who have wrestled with mental health challenges. One morning a few years ago, in the midst of a successful year, Jen couldn’t get out of bed. As a driven professional, she had ignored all the warning signs that she was experiencing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). But her mentor, Diana, could see something was wrong, and when Jen couldn’t come to work, the gravity of the situation became even clearer. In the ensuing weeks, we worked together to get Jen the help she needed. Diana understood Jen’s struggles because she had been there, too — not with PTSD but with anxiety. As the mother of adult triplets with autism and a busy job, she’d often had difficulty managing things in her own life. Throughout both of our careers, we have moved across the spectrum of mental health from thriving to barely hanging on, and somewhere in between. What we’ve learned through our own experiences is how much managerial support matters. When bosses understand mental health issues — and how to respond to them — it can make all the difference for an employee professionally and personally. This involves taking notice, offering a helping hand, and saying “I’m here, I have your back, you are not alone.” That’s exactly what Jen said when a coworker told her that he was grappling with anxiety; it had gotten to the point where it was starting to impact his work and his relationships at home. He came to her because she’d been open about her own struggles. She listened to him, worked to understand what accommodations he needed, and told him about available resources, such as Employee Assistance Programs. Then she continued to check in to see he was getting support he needed and make it clear that she and others were there to help. How do you learn or teach the people on your team to address colleagues’ or direct reports’ mental health issues in the same way? Here are five ways managers can help drive a more empathetic culture: Pay attention to language. We all need to be aware of the words we use that can contribute to stigmatizing mental health issues: “Mr. OCD is at it again — organizing everything.” “She’s totally schizo today!” “He is being so bi-polar this week — one minute he’s up, the next he’s down.” We’ve heard comments like these, maybe even made them ourselves. But through the ears of a colleague who has a mental health challenge, they can sound like indictments. Would you open up about a disorder or tell your team leader you needed time to see a therapist after hearing these words? Rethink “sick days.” If you have cancer, no one says, “Let’s just push through” or “Can you learn to deal with it?” They recognize that it’s an illness and you’ll need to take time off to treat it. If you have the flu, your manager will tell you to go home and rest. But few people in business would react to emotional outbursts or other signs of stress, anxiety, or manic behavior in the same way. We need to get more comfortable with the idea of suggesting and requesting days to focus on improving mental as well as physical health. Encourage open and honest conversations. It’s important to create safe spaces for people to talk about their own challenges, past and present, without fear of being called “unstable” or passed up for the next big project or promotion. Employees shouldn’t fear that they will be judged or excluded if they open up in this way. Leaders can set the tone for this by sharing their own experiences, as we’ve done, or stories of other people who have struggled with mental health issues, gotten help and resumed successful careers. They should also explicitly encourage everyone to speak up when feeling overwhelmed or in need. Be proactive. Not all stress is bad, and people in high-pressure careers often grow accustomed to it or develop coping mechanisms. However, prolonged unmanageable stress can contribute to worsening symptoms of mental illness. How can managers ensure their employees are finding the right balance? By offering access to programs, resources, and education on stress management and resilience-building. In our marketplace survey on employee burnout, nearly 70 percent of respondents said that their employers were not doing enough to prevent or alleviate burnout. Bosses need to do a better job of helping their employees connect to resources before stress leads to more serious problems. Train people to notice and respond. Most offices keep a medical kit around in case someone needs a bandage or an aspirin. We’ve also begun to train our people in Mental Health First Aid, a national program proven to increase people’s ability to recognize the signs of someone who may be struggling with a mental health challenge and connect them to support resources. Through role plays and other activities, they offer guidance in how to listen non-judgmentally, offer reassurance, and assess the risk of suicide or self-harm when, for example, a colleague is suffering a panic attack or reacting to a traumatic event. These can be difficult, emotionally charged conversations, and they can come at unexpected times, so it’s important to be ready for them. When your people are struggling, you want them to be able to open up and ask for help. These five strategies can help any boss or organization create a culture that ceases to stigmatize mental illness.

Stats from Leonard Cheshire website

These statistics make you think_nothing further to say There are more than 11 million disabled people in the UK. One in five of us will be affected by disability at some point in our lives. For many of us, it will be the hardest thing we ever have to face. Eight out of 10 people with a disability weren’t born with it. The vast majority become disabled through an injury, accident, heart attack, stroke or conditions like MS and motor neurone disease. Disabled people are far less likely to be employed than non-disabled people. Fewer than 50% of working-age disabled people are in work, compared to 75% of non-disabled people. Disabled people’s day to day living costs are 25% higher than those of non-disabled people. Disabled people are around three times as likely not to hold any qualifications compared to non-disabled people. A third of disabled people have never used the internet, compared to just 8% of non-disabled people — a ‘digital divide’ of 25%. Disabled people are significantly more likely to be victims of crime than non-disabled people. One in three households with a disabled person still live in ‘non-decent accommodation’. Worldwide There are 1 billion disabled people worldwide. That's 15% of the world’s population. 80% of disabled people live in developing countries. Over 400 million disabled people live below the poverty line. Roughly one in three of the children around the world who do not have access to primary education have a disability. 90% of disabled children in developing countries do not attend school. Health and rehabilitation services are unaffordable for over 50% of disabled people in developing countries