It’s not stress that beats you down, it’s the way you manage it

Our latest #KBPRthinks campaign was around stress and the ways in which we de-stress outside of work. This was particularly timely due to the lockdown which predetermined how we spend our Christmas and who with, causing angst and upheaval amongst many people. The reality is that we have all felt stressed at some point or another in our lives and that needs to change. Millions around the UK are experiencing high levels of stress and it is damaging our health, especially during lockdown.

In 2018 The Mental Health Foundation underwent a study to examine stress levels and mental health in the UK. The study was an online poll with a sample size of 4,619 respondents, which made it the largest known study of stress levels in the UK. It revealed that in the past year, 74% of people have felt so stressed they have been overwhelmed or unable to cope.

According to a survey carried out in the UK this year, the most common type of stress experienced was work related stress, with 79% of respondents saying they frequently felt this type of stress. 60% of respondents then went on to say that they frequently feel monetary stress, while 48% experienced family stress.

Stress is one of the great public health challenges of our time, so it is more important than ever to take a step back and put our health first; especially whilst at work. We at KBPR have discussed how stress can affect us and, because of being flung into a pandemic lockdown back in March, Andrew and Kate put their heads together to think about how they could support their staff both physically and mentally.

One of the ways in which we are supporting employee wellbeing is that we have implemented the use of wellbeing days for our team, which allows them to take one wellbeing day a month to restore, refresh and recuperate from the stresses of the day-to-day routine. Our health and wellbeing strategy has helped to increase employee engagement and create a more fulfilling place to work whilst we are all working from home. This allows employees a day to focus on family life or themselves, they could go for a run, see friends, learn a new recipe; the choice is theirs.

Take a look at our 10 Step Stress Solution based on ways in which our employees and clients responded to the question ‘How do you de-stress’ during the #KBPRthinks campaign:

Prioritise your health: if you are getting stressed remove yourself from the situation and get some fresh air
Get enough ‘good’ sleep: nothing sets you up for the day like a good night’s rest
Socialise: don’t lock yourself indoors alone. Friends are a great stress reliever! (Just make sure you stick with the rules of your tier).
Reflect: look at all you have achieved rather than what you haven’t
Eat for wellbeing: try some new flavours and recipes to look forward to
Get moving to combat stress: a run or a form of exercise is a great stress reliever
Adopt a positive mindset: you are only human, don’t put too much pressure on yourself
Master your time: an organised mind tends to be a more relaxed mind
Don’t be a slave to tech: unless there is a deadline make sure you don’t burn out
Learn to say no: put yourself first rather than always pleasing others

If you are feeling stressed due to work, and or balancing other demands, then talk to a professional. Validium provides clinical expertise and their flexible approach means they can deliver a quality service that will increase the value of a workforce.