An inspirational resident from Sunderland who became a domestic abuse champion in her local community after she was helped to escape an abusive marriage herself at the age of 74, has won a national award for her efforts as an involved tenant with her social landlord.
Brenda Naisby, from Washington in Sunderland, was crowned ‘Tenant of the Year’ at the Tpas National Awards, for the influential role she has played in helping...
Wellbeing
Supporting wellbeing in the workplace
Welcome to our articles page where we post regular insights into wellbeing at work, careers and skills. Did you know that you can submit articles to share your knowledge and experience? If you'd like to submit an article, please see our submission page for more information.
We’ve put together a list of five new books that aim to inspire and improve wellbeing in these uncertain times. Whether you want to reduce stress, become more productive or unleash your full potential, we hope these books help you feel more inspired and positive. Think Like a Monk: The Secret of How to Harness the Power of Positivity and be Happy Now by Jay Shetty (HarperCollins, Hardback/Ebook/Audiobook, September 2020)
Jay...
We launched Housing Technology Wellbeing earlier this year to give our community the opportunity to share and learn how other organisations are approaching the creation of healthier work cultures. A recent report found that job quality has deteriorated over the last two years and the pandemic has had an even worse impact on people’s mental and physical health. It’s clear now more than ever that employers need to identify...
A healthy workplace is one with a culture of dignity and respect. To coincide with World Mental Health Day (10th October), Rachel Ward Lilley discusses the importance of dignity when it comes to mental health in the workplace. We all have our dignity; it’s a visceral human requirement that we feel instinctively. Andrew Sayer’s academic definition describes it as 'a social phenomenon and a mix of independence...
To mark World Mental Health Day on 10th October, we've put together a five-point action plan to improve mental health at work.
1. Don’t skip lunch
Try making healthy choices for lunch into a new habit to ensure that you have enough time away from the screen to avoid fatigue. For many of us, our home is now our office so adopting a healthy lifestyle is key to improving balance and being organised. Planning healthy...
To coincide with our Resilient Innovation 2020 virtual event last week, we’ve carried the resilience theme over to our wellbeing channel. It has been a challenging year for all of us and it has become increasingly evident that developing resilience is essential so that we can learn to cope and adapt during these tough times. Here are four easy actions you can take on board to boost your resilience.
Take time out
Taking...
The term ‘growth mindset’ was first introduced by Dr Carol S. Dweck who considered the difference in performance between those who thought potential was innate and fixed and those who saw it as something that could be developed.
The basic premise of a growth mindset is the belief that you can actively and significantly alter what you are capable of through continued learning and cultivating your abilities.
As with so...
When I first contemplated 40,000-year-old cave paintings, it really struck me just how fundamental art is to the human condition. Even though our prehistoric ancestors lived without the comforts of civilisation, they still took the trouble to make art. Sure, questions may still hang over the value or the purpose of art but, evidently, it has always been a crucial part of our lives, our loves, our labours and, by extension, our wellbeing too....
The psychological buzzword for 2020 must surely be 'resilience'. The conditions of living in a global pandemic are forcing us to adapt to challenging, complex and long-term circumstances, changing how we live, work and play. Nature vs nurture
Psychology Today defines resilience as ‘The psychological quality that allows some people to be knocked down by the adversities of life and come back at least as strong as...
Paul McGregor, founder of Everymind at Work, lists seven ways in which employers and businesses can begin to normalise mental health in the workplace and support their staff.
There’s no doubt that the mental health of employees and individuals has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic and the impact has filtered through to many aspects of our lives, both at work and in our personal lives. Stress, financial worries, job...
A housing provider has been named one of the top performing companies in the country for investing in its workforce. Home Group, one of the largest providers of housing and integrated care in the UK, has claimed the 'We Invest in People' platinum accreditation, for supporting colleagues across the organisation – especially since the coronavirus outbreak.
The award by Investors in People, a leading independent body championing...
More people than ever are turning to meditation apps to help alleviate the stress and anxiety brought on by the pandemic. A recent report found that four in ten workers’ mental and physical health has worsened since Covid-19 hit. Practicing meditation on a regular basis has many benefits including reducing stress and anxiety, as well as improving focus and concentration. Here are five of the best meditation apps that you can use on a...
It has been reported that fears around Covid-19 have put an acute emotional strain on people. Increased anxiety is one of the conditions which has become prevalent with worries about family, health, and social distancing. As lockdown has been relaxed and some of us are returning to work, there is the chance that anxiety will escalate to the point of having a panic attack. Read on to find out more about panic attacks and how to...
Home Group was recently listed in the Top 10 Great Places to Work 2020 survey for the second year running. Susan Fulton, Director of People at Home Group, explains why the housing association ranked above a longlist of blue-chip multinationals. The Great Places to Work survey recognises the best workplaces in the UK that are leading the way in developing award-winning cultures. As a super-large organisation with more than 2,500 employees,...
We are all familiar with the concept of gratitude and feeling appreciation but are we acknowledging the social dimension of gratitude and how it affects our relationships, including those at work?
Robert Emmons, leading expert on gratitude, describes two key elements of gratitude . 'First, it’s an affirmation of goodness. We affirm that there are good things in the world, gifts and benefits we’ve received'. Secondly, he says...
Claire Kremer, Personal Trainer and Wellness Coach, shares her thoughts on how organisations can create and promote a healthy workforce. An effective workplace wellbeing programme can be hugely beneficial in reducing sickness and achieving a fit and healthy workforce that is engaged and productive. A typical programme may include free or reduced gym membership or group wellbeing sessions at the office. However, staying active has been more...
Most of us will recognise the feelings of extreme stress at work. You feel exhausted, disengaged and unable to cope. But did you know that since May 2019, burnout has been redefined and is now included in the World Health Organisation's International Classification of Diseases diagnostic manual? Recognised as a ‘syndrome conceptualised as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed’, burnout...
Earlier this year, Gentoo Group was named the second most inclusive UK employer by LGBT equality charity Stonewall in its Top 100 Employers list for 2020 . Lucy Malarkey from Gentoo Group tells us more about how they have created an inclusive and supportive workplace and how they support the wellbeing of their LGBT staff and tenants. We've been placed second in the Top 100 list for the work we've specifically done to successfully...
Earlier this month, CIPD’s latest Good Work Index report was released and the results show that job quality has deteriorated over the last two years. Aimed at providing an annual snapshot of job quality in the UK, the survey of more than 6,000 workers found the number of people saying work has a positive impact on their mental health had fallen from 44% to 35% . This survey was taken before Covid-19 hit and a subsequent survey...
We interviewed Melin Homes last month about their award-winning employee wellbeing initiative and thought it would be interesting to have another chat with their Communications Officer Fiona Williams about how they’re dealing with the effects of Covid-19 in the workplace. How has Covid‐19 and lockdown impacted Melin Homes?
At Melin we have always been really proud of our agile working policy. In 2017 we won an award for...
The past few months have been extremely difficult for all of us so if you feel that your mental health has been suffering, you’re not alone. The coronavirus pandemic and lockdown has left many of us feeling isolated, anxious, and stressed. We’ve had to deal with being cooped up indoors, worrying about the future and our loved ones who we are unable to visit. We’ve put together a list of online resources and apps that will...
Transport for London has offered mindfulness combined with other interventions like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to staff and it has led to 71% reduction in days off for stress, anxiety and depression. (Mindful Nation Report 2015)
The word mindfulness appears to be creeping up almost everywhere these days and increasingly companies are looking to mindfulness as a solution to various issues in the workplace. But what...
Melin Homes is a leading housing provider in south Wales and manages over 4,000 homes. With over 260 staff, Melin’s culture is built on strong values and they were ranked 6th in the Sunday Times 100 Best Not-For-Profit Organisations to Work For in 2020 .
We caught up with Fiona Williams, Communications Officer, to find out more about what it’s like to work at Melin and specifically about their award-winning employee health and...
We too often underestimate the power of small acts of kindness: giving yourself time to have a bubble bath, calling a friend out the blue to tell them we love them or having a good old chinwag with the supermarket assistant. These small acts can have a ripple effect and really turn someone’s day around.
At the core of self-love is practicing kindness and compassion to yourself. If you have attended my classes before, you know I...