10th October 2022 marks World Mental Health Day and this year the theme is ‘making mental health and wellbeing for all a global priority.
Our emotional, psychological, and social well-being, all have a role in our mental health, impacting how we think, feel, and act.
Mates in Mind, a UK charity focused on improving mental health across the construction industry has carried out a recent survey and found that:
- Over two-thirds of construction workers believe there’s a stigma surrounding mental health which stops them from talking about it
- A third of construction workers suffer from elevated levels of anxiety every day
- 44% worry that their workload is too high
Educating ourselves and talking to one another are two ways to minimise the stigma creating a better place for all and on 7th October Brogan Group delivered toolbox talks on this theme to site teams across the UK and Ireland, as part of a Company approach to preventing and managing work-related stress.
Starting a conversation is an important first step to take in preventing work-related stress in construction. A few key indicators of stress, anxiety and depression include:
- Poor timekeeping
- Quiet and withdrawn, unexplained aches and pains
- Being tired all the time
- Extremes of emotion and lack of cooperation
Five simple steps to get started on improving your mental health:
- Reach out and have conversations
- Recognise the signs and causes of stress
- Respond by agreeing on relevant action points between employer and worker
- Reflect on the actions taken – have things improved?
- Make it Routine to check back in on how things are going
Brogan Group works with Charities such as the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity and Mind who are available 24/7 for support.
Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity - https://www.lighthouseclub.org/
Mind - https://www.mind.org.uk/get-involved/world-mental-health-day/