Occupational health aims to keep individuals well at work, and part of keeping employees well means taking clear and positive steps to reduce stress levels. Organisations will enjoy the benefits that come with this, too – such as improved engagement levels, better productivity and performance, less conflict in the workplace and a happier, healthier workplace.

Here are some ways organisations can help reduce stress in the workplace.

Create a Well-being Policy

A well-being policy includes ensuring employees have safe, ergonomic workstations to support good posture and a healthy work environment. In addition, ensuring employees are encouraged to take regular breaks, offering discounted gym memberships, and more can make a huge difference in employees’ lives.

Create Boundaries

Organisations should normalise employees not having to work outside of their regular working hours. Employers should not expect employees to respond to emails or phone calls when they’re not at work, including whilst employees are on holiday.

Ensure Effective Communication

Lack of good communication in a workplace can make employees feel uncertain, leading to anxiety and stress. Ensure there is effective communication throughout the business to avoid this.

Managers should keep employees up to date with their expectations and their view of performance. Remember that communication is a two-way street; the more managers communicate effectively with employees, the more employees will feel able to share concerns, ideas, and feedback, thus creating a stronger and healthier company culture.

Lead by Example

Those at the top define company culture, so setting a good example will demonstrate company expectations to employees. Managers should lead by example, such as taking breaks during the day and not answering emails outside working hours.

Recognise Employee or Team Success

When an individual employee or team works hard and achieves success, the organisation should recognise this. Recognition could be as simple as a ‘thank you’ from their leader or a shout-out in a company-wide email. People want to feel valued at work, so showing them they are can make a huge difference.

As an occupational health provider, our services cover far more than routine referrals and health surveillance. We’re also here to help you support your employees in taking care of themselves, offering workshops focused on employee health.

We offer workshops and clinics with our OHAs and OHPs, such as:

• Stress workshops
• Blood pressure clinics
• Healthy living workshops

If you have an idea for a workshop or area of particular focus you believe would benefit your employees, contact us to discuss booking a clinic dedicated to this.

Give us a call on 029 2076 1550 to speak to a team member to see how we can assist you to reduce stress in the workplace, or email the team at enquiries@insynchealth.co.uk, and someone will be in touch soon as possible.

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For employees who test positive for COVID-19, the government advises “try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people. Try to work from home if you can. If you cannot work from home, talk to your employer about options available to you” [source].

As this is only advice and not government regulation, employees can continue to attend the workplace even if they test positive, raising many concerns. A recent report from Oxley and Patti stated, “with the lack of government guidance; it is for employers to balance the health and safety risk presented by rising rates relative to their workforce” [source].

Increased absence levels from more people testing positive for coronavirus will undoubtedly hit employers hard. Recent data showed that 3.8million days off were taken across the UK during June for COVID-related reasons, which is more than double the number taken in May. This comes at an estimated cost of £544 million and is something many employers can ill afford, given the current financial climate [source].

Many employers are now questioning whether it’s time to bring back precautions and regulations in workplaces to help reduce the number of people contracting and spreading coronavirus and reduce absence levels.

One solution for many organisations could be asking employees to work from home full time if they can until case numbers come down. Reducing the number of days people come into the office and have contact with people could help to reduce the number of cases. They should also encourage employees as much as possible to work from home if they feel unwell and have had contact with anyone who is ill or has tested positive for COVID-19.

Employers can also reduce the transmission and spread of coronavirus and other illnesses by improving ventilation in workplaces as much as possible. It has been proven that increased ventilation dramatically impacts air quality and reduces the spread of germs, which could be effective at lowering absence days.

Some employers are still offering their teams lateral flow tests, which can help catch cases in asymptomatic people and reduce the risk to the rest of the workforce.

If you need assistance from Occupational Health specialists, Insync Corporate Healthcare is here to help. We can work closely with you and your team to consider how you can minimise the impact of rising coronavirus cases on your workforce and business. Give us a call on 029 2076 1550 or email enquiries@insynchealth.co.uk, and someone will respond as soon as possible.

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The Men’s Health Forum is a charity supporting male health in Wales, England and Scotland. Their ambition is that every man and boy – particularly those in the most disadvantaged communities – will have the information, services, and treatments needed to live healthier, longer and more fulfilling lives.

In the UK, one man in five dies before he reaches the age of 65, and men die on average 3.7 years earlier than women. Many steps can be taken to reduce these numbers so men can be healthier overall and live longer.

This year’s Men’s Mental Health Week message urges men to do the following.

• Take notice of what’s going on in their bodies and minds
• Get an NHS Health Check, available to most men over 40
• Complete the Men’s Health Forum DIY Man MOT, a quick and easy health check men can do at home.

In addition, there are several things they are encouraging organisations to do to ensure the health of their male workers.

• Scheduling Man MOT Training in workplaces
• Appointing and training men’s health champions to empower and encourage men in workplaces to have healthy conversations about physical and mental health
• Joining the campaign for a men’s health strategy

How Occupational Health Can Help Support Men’s Health in The Workplace

Occupational Health can help support male employees and their physical and mental health in the workplace. They can work to promote and maintain a positive relationship between employee work and health and ensure men (and women) stay well at work.

Your male employees could be facing severe health risks, and it’s a known fact that men don’t engage with healthcare in the same way that women do, as working men are around 50% less likely to visit a doctor than working women.

If you are an organisation looking for Occupational Health solutions, we are here to help. At Insync Corporate Healthcare, we understand that employees are your most important resource and that you want to protect them. By proactively looking after the health of your male employees, you’ll improve company performance, increase productivity and profitability and be meeting your legal obligations as an employer.

To find out more about how we can help support the health of your male employees this Men’s Health Week, please get in touch with our team. Phone us now on 029 2076 1550 or email enquiries@insynchealth.co.uk, and one of our team will be in touch shortly.

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The theme for this year was loneliness, how loneliness affects mental health, and how everyone can play their part in reducing loneliness in our communities.

Loneliness is one of the most significant contributors to poor mental health in the UK and was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdowns that came with it. The statistics surrounding loneliness are startling.

• 25 million (45%) adults in England say they sometimes or often feel lonely
• Loneliness can increase the chance of death by 26%
• Loneliness, living alone, and poor social connections are all as bad for health as smoking 15 cigarettes per day
• Loneliness and social isolation lead to an increased risk of developing coronary heart disease and stroke
• Loneliness is worse for your health than obesity [source]

Mark Rowland, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation, responsible for Mental Health Week, said, “loneliness is affecting more and more of us in the UK and has had a huge impact on our physical and mental health during the pandemic. Our connection to other people and our community is fundamental to protecting our mental health so we find much better ways of tackling the epidemic of loneliness. We can all play a part in this. The week is also an invaluable opportunity for people to talk about all aspects of mental health with a focus on providing health and advice”.

How to Help Combat Loneliness  

If you find yourself feeling lonely, there are some things you can do and steps you can take to try to combat this feeling. Why not try joining a class with like-minded people with whom you have something in common? You can also try reaching out to friends and family, taking daily exercise, and if you’re still struggling, don’t hesitate to book an appointment with a therapist who can help you.

Use this Mental Health Week as a reminder to take care of yourself and your mental and physical health. If you are lonely, reach out to those around you and follow some of the other steps above. If you suspect someone around you is feeling lonely, take some time to connect with them. You might make a massive difference to their day and how they’re feeling.

How Occupational Health Can Help Support Mental Health in the Workplace

Occupational Health can help to support positive mental health in the workplace. They can assist employees struggling with their mental health, including controlling risks, such as too much pressure and workload, bullying, harassment, and much more.

If you are a business looking for occupational health solutions, Insync Corporate Healthcare is here to help. We understand that employees are one of the most critical assets to any business. By proactively managing your employees’ mental (and physical) health, you’ll improve company performance, productivity, and profitability and meet your legal obligations as an employer.

Get in touch with our team today to find out how we can help support your employee’s mental health. Give us a call on 029 2076 1550 or email enquiries@insynchealth.co.uk, and someone will be in touch shortly.

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Every year there is a different theme for World Mental Health Day, set by the World Federation for Mental Health. This year theme was ‘Mental Health in an Unequal World’.

When you’re mentally healthy you can fulfil your potential, cope with any setbacks, and have a full, enjoyable life. It doesn’t mean that you won’t ever feel stressed, anxious, or worried, as these are all perfectly normal feelings. It means that you’re able to navigate your way through these feelings without feeling weighed down by them for too long.

People who suffer from poor mental health, in contrast, can be weighed down by negative feelings for a very long time. It’s important to remember that mental health won’t stay the same throughout your life. As you experience different things or circumstances change, your mental health might too. Anyone can experience poor mental health at any time, so being aware of the warning signs both in yourself and in others around you is vital.

One of World Mental Health Day’s aims is to drop the negative stigma surrounding mental health. Normalising talking to friends, family and even colleagues about how one feels, or asking for help when struggling, is one of the best ways to help ease mental health issues.

This year MIND is encouraging you to speak out, spread the word and make change happen to ensure that everyone has the support they need.

Things You Can Do to Raise Awareness

Why not make a point of checking in with your friends, family and colleagues and ask how they’re feeling? It may be that someone is struggling with opening up, and by asking the question, you encourage them to share their feelings and emotions. Just knowing someone cares can significantly impact how someone is feeling, so it’s worth everyone taking the time to do this.

Let’s work together all the time to show people that help is there when they need it and that having mental health issues isn’t something to be uncomfortable or ashamed about.

If you or someone else you know needs help with mental health, please don’t suffer in silence. Talk to the Samaritans by calling 116 123, text the Shout Crisis Line on 85258, or talk to your GP if you don’t need urgent assistance.

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The Vaccine Prevents Seriously Illness

The COVID-19 virus can cause people to become seriously ill, resulting in hospitalisation and, unfortunately, death for many. It can also lead to ongoing health problems for weeks or months after infection. The vaccine is the best way to protect yourself and reduce your risk of becoming seriously ill.

The Vaccine is Allowing a Return to Some Sense of Normalcy

Now that such a large proportion of the UK adult population have received two doses of the Covid-19 vaccination and are as protected as they possibly can be, the government has relaxed many of the previous restrictions. For most of the UK population, this return to some sense of normalcy is a welcome relief.

The Vaccine is Allowing Travel

Fully vaccinated UK residents are now allowed to travel from the UK to several countries and return without the need for quarantine or self-isolation. This reduction in travel restrictions is a massive relief for many who have been unable to visit friends and family abroad or are just in need of a long-awaited holiday!

The Vaccine Protects the Vulnerable

For those particularly vulnerable to COVID-19, becoming vaccinated is the easiest and most effective way to prevent serious illness from the virus. Even if you don’t have health concerns that make you particularly vulnerable to COVID-19, those around you might, and the best way to protect them is to become vaccinated yourself. So even if you’re not particularly bothered about getting the vaccine yourself, it is necessary to do so to protect the elderly and vulnerable around you.

The COVID-19 vaccine has several essential and worthwhile benefits; however, it is important to remember that it’s not an immediate fix for ending the pandemic. It is critical to continue taking precautions to protect yourself and those around you. These precautions include regular and thorough handwashing for 20 seconds, continuing to social distance when out and about, using hand sanitiser when you’re unable to wash your hands, and sticking to any government restrictions put in place as these may continue to change over the coming months.

If we all continue to do our part, including getting vaccinated, we’ll help the UK continue the journey towards living normal lives once again.

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Men’s Health Week is designed to raise awareness of health issues that affect men disproportionately. It aims to raise male awareness of health problems that they may already have or could develop in the future and encourage men to seek help with these issues should they arise.

So what are some of the health issues that commonly affect men?

Mental Health

Suicide is the single biggest killer of men under the age of 45 in the UK. That is why it is essential to be aware of your mental health and notice if it’s deteriorating and take steps to do something about it without delay.

The CAN DO challenge is a great way to boost mental wellbeing. The ‘five ways to wellbeing’ are five things anyone can do which are scientifically proven to help improve the way we feel.

C – Connect – connect with others. Give an old friend a call, pop in to see a family member or anything else that helps connect with those around you #ConnectMonday

A – (Be) Active – get your body moving and head for a walk, jog, run, swim, cycle, or anything else that gets your heart pumping a little faster #ActiveTuesday

N – Notice – notice the world around you. Put down your phone for an hour and tune into the environment that surrounds you #NoticeWednesday

D – Discover – try to learn something new. Pick up a book you’ve never read before, try a new skill, or just do something different #DiscoverThursday

O – Offer (or give) – do something for someone else like volunteer to help in the community, help an elderly relative or perform an act of kindness for someone else #OfferFriday

Take Care of Your Health

Heart problems, respiratory diseases and alcohol-related illnesses are the worst health problems affecting men in the UK. Ensure you’re doing your bit to stay healthy by eating nutritious food and maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, not smoking, not exceeding the weekly recommended alcohol limits.

Regular Check-Ups

As you get older, it’s essential to visit your GP for regular check-ups and always attend any screening appointments. If you’re feeling unwell, find an unusual lump or experience any other health problem, you mustn’t put off making a doctor’s appointment to have it seen as soon as possible. It might turn out to be nothing, but it may also be something that requires treatment and the sooner that treatment begins, the better the outcome will be.

Use this Men’s Health Week as a reminder to look after yourself, your mental health, and your physical health. This week can also be a great time to talk to the men around you about looking after their health.

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It’s perfectly normal if thinking about returning to work, to restaurants, going to busy shops and meeting up with people makes you feel scared, worried, anxious or overwhelmed, and it’s essential to keep this in mind as you start to get back out into everyday life.

If you’ve been working from home, you may be worried about the thought of returning to your place of work, full or part-time. You’ll probably have gotten used to working from home, feeling safe and secure there. The thought of getting ready, doing your commute, and going back into your office or place of work may feel a bit overwhelming. Remember that this is a normal feeling, and one many other people will be experiencing, so you’re not alone.

You might find you like the thought of being able to get out and about, meet friends and family, go to shops, eat out, go for drinks, attend the gym or anything else you used to enjoy doing before the pandemic. However, you may realise that when you’re out, it feels overwhelming, and you aren’t enjoying being around people and in social situations again.

To help reduce these feelings of stress and post-covid anxiety, gently easing back into normal life is the best way to look after your mental health. Don’t try to do everything all at once, or you may end up stressed and unhappy. Start by planning to do just one thing per week, then two, and build up from there until you find a balance you’re happy with. Everyone is different, so what works for your friend, partner or family member might not suit you, so try not to feel pressured by comparing yourself to others.

It’s also vital to remember that you may be a very different person now than you were before the pandemic began. You may have lost loved ones or re-evaluated what’s most important in your life.

There is some really useful information available which you may find helpful at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-the-public-on-mental-health-and-wellbeing/guidance-for-the-public-on-the-mental-health-and-wellbeing-aspects-of-coronavirus-covid-19.

Remember, you’ve lived through a global pandemic. This experience, understandably, has a profound effect on wellbeing and mental health, so feeling some post-covid anxiety as things return to normal is perfectly understandable. Don’t be too hard on yourself, don’t compare yourself to other people, and instead allow yourself as much time as you need to transition back to ‘normal life’ and what feels good and comfortable for you.

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Everyone is familiar with the feeling of not having had enough sleep. It makes us feel tired, unmotivated, less productive and more irritable. It isn’t a great feeling, but did you know that lack of sleep is bad for your health?

Sleep deprivation can have negative consequences on our physical and mental health. It can make it hard to concentrate, make decision making tough, make you feel down, put you at risk of injury and accidents, make you less productive, cause mood swings and can lead to stress.

Getting enough sleep can help boost immunity, keep your weight steady, boost mental wellbeing, prevent diabetes, prevent heart disease, increase fertility, and so much more. If that’s not enough motivation for getting eight solid hours of quality sleep per night, we don’t know what is!

If you need to improve the amount and quality of your sleep, here are some things you can do:

Avoid Energy Drinks and Caffeine

Whilst energy drinks loaded with caffeine or a few extra cups of strong coffee might give you a short term boost during the day, they can be disruptive to your overall sleep. Energy drinks and caffeine are best avoided altogether or drunk in moderation early in the day.

Ensure You Have the Right Mattress and Bedding

If you find you can’t sleep because your bed is uncomfortable or you wake in the night because your back is sore, you may not have the right mattress or pillows for your body. Investing in high-quality bedding and a mattress that supports your body is worth every penny as the average person spends around 26 years of their life sleeping!

Create The Right Environment For Sleep

It has been scientifically proven that the most restful sleep happens in a calm, dark environment, between 18 and 20 degrees. Keeping your bedroom clean and tidy helps create a relaxing space, whilst investing in high-quality curtains or blinds that keep out light and keeping the temperature at optimum levels will help you drift off easier and have a more restful sleep.

Limit Screen Time Before Bed

The blue light emitted from mobile phones, tablets, televisions and other similar devices has been proven to wake our brains up. This stimulation is why it’s difficult to put down your phone and immediately drift off.

Avoiding screen time for an hour before you go to bed will help you fall asleep faster and improve your sleep quality once you do nod off. Never try to fall asleep with the television on as you will be exposed to the blue light if you wake in the night, making it harder to fall back asleep.

Follow the above steps to get more and better quality sleep, and you’ll find you feel physically and mentally much better for it. Sleep is essential for our health and wellbeing, so it’s worth investing the effort. The importance of sleep can’t be overlooked!

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1. Rethink Your Eating Habits

Next time you reach for the biscuit tin or open the crisp cupboard, ask yourself whether you are hungry or whether you’re going to be eating because you’re bored. Often, especially during lockdown, when there’s nowhere to go and little to do, people just eat out of boredom rather than due to real hunger. If you ask yourself this question and stop eating unless you’re hungry, you’ll create better habits and cut down the amount you consume.

2. Create a Healthy Eating Plan

Planning meals in advance is an easy way to eat better. Creating a meal plan of what you’re going to eat each week and then purchasing the ingredients for these meals to ensure you have them to hand means you’ll be more likely to cook and less likely to grab a takeaway when you can’t think of what to have for dinner one evening.

3. Take Up an Exercise Challenge

Committing to an exercise programme can be a great way to keep your motivation levels up. It might mean downloading an app such as Strava or Race at Your Pace and committing to daily or weekly challenges there, or it might mean tracking your steps daily. Another great idea can be setting up a challenge amongst your friends or family and holding each other accountable for reaching them.

4. Set Goals

Setting goals for yourself for exercise or healthy eating can make a big difference. Challenge yourself to walk 10,000 steps, give up fizzy drinks, do yoga three times a week or something similar that feels good to you. Try not to set goals that are too lofty, or you’ll find you quickly become overwhelmed and give up. Pick things that are achievable and don’t change too much all at once.

5. Create A Daily Routine

Creating a daily routine can be a significant help when dealing with a situation such as lockdown. Set the alarm to get up at a reasonable time, get dressed, get out for a walk, get your work done, cook healthy meals, go to bed at a reasonable time.  All of this can make a significant difference for your overall wellbeing and mental health.

Adopting healthy eating and lifestyle habits can help your physical health and your mental health and wellbeing. By living a healthy life, you’ll reduce your risk of heart conditions, improve digestion, reduce stress, depression and anxiety, reduce cancer risk and improve your overall wellbeing. Start your healthier new year today, and you’ll soon see the benefits and start looking and feeling amazing.

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