The Rambling Psychotherapist

How much energy do you have tied up in maintaining the statues quo, and does this still serve you?

It is World Mental Health day tomorrow. The Mental Health Foundation have recently published some startling statistics about mental ill health in the work place: 😶 in 2022, mental health was the 5th most common reason given for sickness absence, accounting for 7.9% of occurrences. 😶 Mental ill health is now the most common cause of work-limiting conditions among those aged 44 years and younger. 😶 Over the past decade, the number of workers aged 16–34 years who reported that their mental health limits the type or amount of work they can do has more than quadrupled. 😶 In 2022/23, there were an estimated 875,000 workers suffering from work-related stress, depression or anxiety, resulting in 17.1 million working days lost. This is eye opening stuff for organisations and many are starting to sit up and pay attention as a result. But how can a business have a positive impact on the mental health of its employees, and is it their responsibility? There was a press release published by the Workforce Institute in February last year which concluded that 'managers impact our mental health more than doctors, therapists — and same as spouses'. So many managers don't have any training or support to help them navigate the world of employee relationships well and in a way that helps both the managers and the employees to flourish. This lack of adequate support can often have a very detrimental effect on both the managers and the employees who are in their charge. Relational Leadership Development, and Reflective, Relational Supervision for teams can make all the difference between a team just getting by, and a team thriving. You can find full details of both services on the website https://lnkd.in/eQv_EBUx. If you'd like to have a chat about how either email me at rachel@ramblingpsychotherapist.co.uk to book in a discovery call. #worldmentalhealthday #leadershipdevelopment #mentalhealthintheworkplace

I take my work really seriously, so it's always good to know that I am fully prepared for whatever it might present me with.

Awareness is the starting point for change and development, be that in your career or in your personal life. How do you self-reflect?

It is World Suicide Prevention Day tomorrow. It can be really distressing to learn that someone you care about is having thoughts about ending their life, so suicide and suicidal thoughts have become a really taboo topic in our society. This really needs to change, because it stops people who are struggling from accessing the support that they could really benefit from getting. It sends people who are feeling overwhelmed and under-supported underground, because they don't want the people around them to think less of them, and/or to distress the people they care about. We need to get comfortable talking about this stuff. So, how do you address this? 💚 Learn to spot the signs - people who are feeling suicidal will often: distance themselves or not reply to messages ❕ talk about feeling worthless, hopeless or trapped ❕ not do the things they usually enjoy ❕ find day-to-day tasks difficult ❕ Invite them to talk about it. 💛 Don't be afraid to ask if someone might be having suicidal thoughts. It is far better to be clear in your communication. People who have been suicidal have often said it is a relief to talk about thoughts they are experiencing. Just being there to listen and showing you care can help. 💙 Recognise that someone expressing suicidal ideation is a marker of the level of distress and overwhelm they are feeling, and not a personal statement about how they feel about you and your relationship. It can be really hard to hear that a loved one is feeling this way, but it does not mean they don't care about you. 🧡 Recognise your limits. You can be an empathic listening ear, but professional help is also available. The Samaritans provide a 24 hour call service (call 116 123) where anyone who is struggling can access an empathic ear at any point. If you have real concerns that your friend or loved one is about to take imminent action, you can also call 999 (in the UK, 112 in Ireland) and ask for an ambulance. ❤️ Recognise the impact of this on you, and get support too. The Samaritans can help here as well. Having things out in the open has a huge impact. Don't underestimate it! #suicideprevention

We all know that offering support can be truly helpful for others. You can make a big difference in our world by offering time and support to friends and family, volunteering for organizations or donating to charities. As it's International Day of Charity tomorrow however, I thought it would be good to talk about how it helps you too. That warm fuzzy feeling you get from having done a charitable deed is not just some fleeting good vibe of no consequence. Science suggests that there are all sorts of physiological responses that happen in our bodies when we give our time and effort to support others. For want of nothing else, there is research out there which says that when we give, we get a big boost of serotonin (which regulates your mood), dopamine (which gives you a sense of pleasure and motivation) and oxytocin (which creates a sense of connection with others). When we do things for others, it helps us feel more connected in our world, tunes us into a greater sense of purpose, and helps us feel more engaged with life. And that, can't be anything but good for our overall health and happiness. Charity doesn't have to be a massive part of your life to feel these benefits either, so you don't have to dedicate precious hours of time every week to your preferred charitable cause. Occasional charitable acts give us a boost too. I personally like to give a monthly donation to a charity which supports nature, at the moment the charity I'm choosing to support is the @rspb. I take part in occasional charitable events in my local community, and once a year I will do a sponsored event too. This year I am taking on the Samaritans Dawn Walk on World Mental Health Day. If you'd like to help me raise some funds to help the Samaritans keep doing the amazing work they do and can spare a few quid, follow the link to my Just Giving page https://lnkd.in/een4YHAA. #charity #raisingfunds #itsgoodtogive #walkingforhealth

My kids are all grown up and living their lives as fully fledged adults these days, but despite having not been the parent of a school age child for quite some time now, I tend to still view life through the lens of the academic year. I think this is possibly because, whether you have children or not, life is full of people that do, so the summer holidays in particular bring with them a fair bit of disruption. This week is officially the last of the summer. How has your summer been? Have you managed to keep a level of routine throughout which allows you to move seamlessly back into the 9-5, or are you frantically realising that you need to get your house in order ahead of next week? I've actually been a really busy bee over the summer. I've taken advantage of the extra time that gets freed up when my clients head off on summer holidays, to get a couple of projects sorted, so in some respects I'm feeling quite smug and excited to roll into the autumn. In others though, I'm realising I've taken my eye off the ball a little in terms of reviewing where I'm at, and making sure I stay on track to meet my goals this year. So I guess I probably fall into the camp of needing to get my house in order to some extent too. Wherever you find yourself at right now, it's worth having a moment to pause and reflect, it's much easier to decide what needs to happen next if you take a moment to breathe and slow down. If this week is going to be a frantic one for you as you scramble to get everything in place to roll into September, don't forget to carve out some time for resting too. You'll need the energy it brings to take on September. If you're interested in hearing more about how to look after yourself and staying on track as life speeds up again, sign up to my newsletter here https://lnkd.in/eKg849Cw #autumnterm #endofsummer #selfcare #stayingontrack #selfcare #emotionalwellbeing

We are now in the penultimate week of the Take Root beta programme and I couldn't have hoped for it to be going better. I've had some fabulous feedback, which is helping me to polish the finished product. People are reporting that they are growing a better understanding of themselves and what has shaped them, improving their ability to spot when they need some extra resourcing and working out what works best for them in the different situations, and they are also learning to create adequate space for themselves, so they can walk into the world every day feeling solid in themselves and able to support others too. I'll be making the final tweaks to the course, through the rest of August and the finished product will be open for enrollment in the first week of September. Sign up to the waiting list if you want to snag yourself the early adopters, discounted rate and I'll alert you when enrollment opens. Sign up to the waiting list here

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Hello you lovely people 👋🏼