Wellbeing

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...