Stress Awareness Month

6th April, 2022

April is Stress Awareness Month.  This event has been running since 1992 although without a doubt the last two years have been the most challenging most people have faced.

The official theme this year is “Community” – a way to reconnect after the social restrictions of the past two years.

What are the signs of stress?

Stress can present itself in many different ways. Common symptoms include:

  • Trouble sleeping
  • Feeling overwhelmed
  • Forgetfulness
  • Finding it hard to concentrate
  • Feeling angry, anxious or nervous
  • Trouble functioning in your normal personal and work-life
  • Feeling exhausted

 

What can help?       

Just three, of many, things that can help are:

Volunteering – may be one you wouldn’t have immediately thought of but many studies have proved that volunteering will improve many aspects of mental health including stress. It can lead to a feeling of purpose, and an increase in self-esteem. A sense of belonging and connection with the community alleviates the feeling of being alone. It can give a different perspective on life, and widen your sphere of influence and knowledge. If you are in Suffolk why not have a look at Volunteering Matters for some ideas of how you can get involved in your community:  https://volunteeringmatters.org.uk/

Exercise – especially outside. The Mental Health awareness campaign last year used the hashtag #connectwithnature. Whether a ten-minute walk or training for a marathon, outdoor exercise can give your stress levels a chance to reduce. How about joining the Suffolk Minds 100 Miles Challenge?  https://www.suffolkmind.org.uk/product/100milesforsuffolkmindtshirts/#:~:text=What%20is%20the%20100%20Miles,make%20it%20a%20team%20challenge.

Managing tech and social media – we are all good at telling teenagers not to be on screens before bed, or to limit time on socials, but how many of us take our own advice? Because much of our business, and social life, is based on groups and advertising on social media it is very difficult to go ‘cold turkey’ with socials and tech. We can be more aware of how much time we spend mindlessly scrolling, and when that time is. Avoiding tech in the evening will lead to a better night’s sleep – which is key in reducing stress and improving our mental health. If this is something of interest to you, this YouTube interview is worth watching:

 

What is Magnus Group doing to support their team?

Emma Lightfoot, Head of Personnel and Development, is proactively looking to lead the way for haulage companies.

“Olly has introduced some big changes over the past two years, so we need ensure we bring people together and have the support structures in place to create a great culture in which to work,” says Emma. “The freight, haulage, and warehousing industry doesn’t always have a great reputation for staff welfare. We want to lead the change not only for haulage companies in Suffolk but in the country”

The outdoor decking area has given the staff an area outside to use for meetings, breaks, and social gatherings after work.

The management and supervisory structure have been strengthened to give more support, and also a sense of belonging to specific teams within Magnus. This is supported by an “open door” policy by the senior team, and access to Emma when needed.

An Employee Assistance Programme provided by an external provider was introduced in 2021. This is for all employees and their families who might need confidential advice on legal, financial, or mental health matters.

Mental Health Awareness in the Workplace training is taking place for all staff members starting in April.

“Over 16% of our team have accessed our EAP app service since we introduced it last year,” explains Emma. “By providing mental health awareness training to all staff members, alongside the external professional service we provide, we hope we are in a strong position to support our team.”

 

Mental Health First Aid England

MHFA England is a great place to start if you are looking to see how you can support your team. In the past twelve months, they have trained over 85,000 people as Mental Health First Aiders and a further 133,000 in mental health skills and awareness: an indication of how much this support is needed.

 

 

Magnus Group Ltd, a haulage, warehousing, and freight forwarding logistics company, is based just outside Ipswich, Suffolk. Placed ideally to serve the Port of Felixstowe with direct road links to the Midlands, the North and London.

If you would like to know more about our warehousing, transport or global forwarding teams call us on +44 (0) 1473836600 or email on commercial@magnusgroup.com.

We advertise our jobs on our company website: if you would like to join our team, follow our LinkedIn company page and check out our website.

 

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