employee wellbeing report 2015

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The Mind Solution 2015 UK Wellbeing Report


1.0 Introduction Page 3 2.0 Mental Health | A Growing Problem Page 5 3.0 Background To The Report Page 7 3.1 Findings Page 9 3.2 Areas Of Support Required Page 10 3.3 Impact Of Psychological Problems Page 11 On Performance 3.4 Support Given To Employees Page 13 3.5 The Cost Of No Support Page 16 3.6 Employers' Attitude Towards Mental Health Page 17 3.7 Resilience And Wellbeing Training Available Page 18 3.8 What Employees Would Like To See Featured Page 19 3.9 The Importance Of Investing In Resilience 2 3.10 Impact Of Mental Health On Employee Page 23 Engagement 4.0 Building Resilience – The Route To Commercial Page 25 Advantage 5.0 Building The Business Case – The Essential Guide Page 27

Content


Employee wellbeing. The latest HR initiative, a tick box exercise or a strategic step in the right direction to transforming the health, wellbeing and performance levels of employees in the workplace? The concept of employee wellbeing has received much more attention from businesses in recent years. With absence now costing UK employers more than £29 billion on an annual basis1 this is perhaps no surprise.

Ø According to the CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and

Development), the direct cost of sickness absence to a

business is significant, at around £600 per person, per year in

total.

Ø For long-term illness, this is as much as £6.4 billion a year

across public and private sector organisations. For companies

over 500 employees, that’s a staggering £620,000 a year bill.

Organisations such as PWC, Google and Domestic and General have recognised that for a business to have a long term future, building resilience in their employees is not only key, it’s a 21st Century necessity. Despite the ongoing cost of absence to businesses, not to mention the cost of presenteeism, the UK is still behind its global counterparts when it comes to tackling a problem that shows no sign of dissipating. UK workers have an average of 9.1 days off from their job each year due to sickness2, one of the highest numbers compared to the USA and the rest of Europe. Even in cases where absence is being tackled, the approach taken by businesses is still a reactive one with the use of EAP (Employee Assistance Programmes) or OH (Occupational Health) suppliers being used alongside policy and process. 1 PWC, The rising cost of sickness absence 2014 2 PWC, The rising cost of sickness absence 2014

1.0 Introduction


As specialists in employee wellbeing and resilience, The Mind Solution sets out to better understand the current picture of wellbeing within organisations and seeks to understand why more is not being done on a proactive level to tackle the problem of absence before it hits the bottom line. This report looks at the business case for investing in resilience training and why it needs to be at the heart of an organisation’s business strategy.

The world of work is changing. We are entering the ‘Human Age’ where human potential will be the major

agent of economic growth.1


1 in 4 adults in the UK will experience some kind of diagnosable mental health problem in the course of any one year and 1 in 6 will experience this at any given time.3 The latest estimates from the Labour Force Survey show:

Despite this growing problem, backed up with the evidence that 131 million days were lost to sickness absence in the UK in 20134, wellbeing strategies still attract minimal attention from senior business leaders. The concept of investing in the mental and physical wellbeing of employees has yet to be seen as a strategic initiative rather than a staff benefit. As mental health becomes less of a taboo topic, the tide is slowly turning with leading organisations including PWC, Apple, Virgin Media, BUPA International, Google and Domestic and General, now putting wellbeing at the top of their organisation's strategic agenda. Not only are these organisations recognising the value of building the resilience of their employees as a means of reducing absence, more importantly they also recognise this approach as a route to enhanced performance and bottom line profit both in the workforce and the market place. Whilst a degree of absence is to be expected within the workplace, the problem will not change unless organisations invest in a

3 Mental Health Foundation 4 Office for National Statistics 2014: Sickness Absence in The Labour Market

2.0 Mental Health | A Growing Problem

⇒ The total number of cases of work-related stress, depression or anxiety in 2013/14 was 487,000 cases (39%) out of a total of 1,241,000 cases for all work-related illnesses.

⇒ The number of new cases of work-related stress, depression or anxiety in 2013/14 was 244,000.

⇒ The total number of working days lost due to work-related stress, depression or anxiety was 11.3 million in 2013/14, an average of 23 days per case of stress, depression or anxiety.


different approach. With time off and sometimes with the use of medication, employees may get over the symptoms but then return to work still lacking the resources, coping mechanisms and knowledge needed to prevent them from experiencing stress, anxiety, depression or similar illnesses in the future. Absence related to this field cannot be likened to someone with a broken arm which is visible, and can be readily treated with a tangible return to work date attached to it. Although harder to define but equally as damaging is the cost of presenteeism, which is employees who are at work yet suffering from stress, anxiety, depression or similar. Mental health conditions such as these simply rob an employee’s ability to perform well at work. ‘The business case for promoting and supporting employee health and wellbeing is becoming increasingly clear. Employers can gain clear benefits in reducing employee turnover and increasing the

productivity and engagement of their employees.’ (CIPD)

“Nowhere in life do we get taught the right coping skills to match the 21st

century way of life” The Mind Solution


Director of The Mind Solution, Sara Maude, spent over 12 years working as an HR professional for some of the UK’s leading employers including British Airways Holidays, Virgin Atlantic, De Vere Hotels and public sector bodies including The National Police Improvement Agency and the NHS. Having taken a career turn after studying Solution Focused Psychotherapy and Hypnotherapy, Sara set up her own private practices in England and Scotland providing one to one support for people to overcome mental health conditions together with support for people to build self esteem, confidence and problems with performance. The private practices have treated over 1,000 people, many of which are employed in organisations across the UK. All sessions were paid for by individuals. The study noted that many of the people who sought help were still at work, but issues such as anxiety and stress were impacting their ability to perform well within their job roles. Others were on leave of absence and despite having been through the traditional route of Occupational Health, had sought help in a bid to get them back to work as soon as possible, many for fear of losing their job roles. Having held a 12 year career as an HR professional, Sara was able to readily identify the need to help both the individual return to work fit and healthy and also the impact that having them absent from work would create in the business. Whilst working one to one with people it was noted that not only did they need support to address the immediate problem, they also needed educating about what was needed to build resilience at a physical, emotional and psychological level so that they could remain fit and well and able to perform effectively at work. During the sessions it was recognised that if employees in the workplace had access to the type of information they were being educated on, combined with the techniques they were being taught,

3.0 Background To The Report


the impact this would have on performance would be transformational.


As part of the research The Mind Solution interviewed 18 clients who had previously used their 1 – 1 services and who worked for large public and private sector organisations across the UK. In conducting the research The Mind Solution set out to identify the following:

3.1 Findings

1. What impact the problem the individual had experienced had on their performance levels at the time

2. What support was given by the manager or organisation to help deal with the problem

3. In cases where support was given, what difference that made with an individual’s wellbeing and performance

4. In cases where no support was given, how this impacted on the individual on a psychological and engagement level

5. If support had been offered, what difference this would have made at the time

6. How each individual would rate their employer's approach and attitude towards mental health in the workplace

7. What resilience or wellbeing training is or has been offered by the organisation

8. In cases where no resilience or wellbeing training is offered, what individuals would like to see featured and what difference they believe this would make to their performance at work

9. In cases where no resilience or wellbeing training is offered, what difference individuals felt it would had made to preventing or minimising problems arising within them


As the graph below outlines, the reasons clients included in the research sought direct help was varied. Anxiety was the main reason with 8 out of the 18 requiring support in this area. Anxiety is a complex physical and mental issue and the reasons clients required support to overcome anxiety included overcoming panic attacks; generalised anxiety; feeling anxious about specific situations and people at work.

0 2 4 6 8 10

Skin condition

Lack of confidence

Anxiety

Stress

Sleep problems

Depression

Support needed

3.2 Areas Of Support Required


The impact these types of health problems had on performance at work, as described by the clients, varied from case to case. The primary impact experienced included: The majority of individuals who sought help had been experiencing feeling this way for several months and in some cases over a year. Whilst the vast majority were still at work, this is where the term presenteeism comes into its own. Although presenteeism is harder to define in relation to the financial impact on a business, an employee experiencing the above symptoms will be unable to perform at their best within their job role. In addition to the symptoms, clients also reported:

Ø An inability to absorb information, Ø Difficulty sleeping or waking up feeling exhausted, Ø Lack of energy throughout the day, Ø An inability to see the big picture or prioritise at work, Ø And unable to take a different perspective to name a few.

3.3 The Impact Of Psychological Problems On Performance

Ø Being unable to focus for long periods of time;

Ø Lack of concentration; Ø Feeling completely withdrawn and unable

to mix with colleagues; Ø Feeling overwhelmed by work; taking

things personally; Ø Struggling to handle client meetings; Ø Unable to conduct meetings or

presentations; Ø Unable to make decisions; Ø Over analysing work and frequently being

close to tears at work.


Apart from the more tangible side effects these conditions bring, the impact chronic stress, anxiety and depression has on the physical body can include:

Ø Poor functioning of the immune system, liver and digestive system

Ø Poor gut function including diarrhoea, constipation and IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)

Ø Dizziness or light-headedness Ø Tunnel vision Ø Tightness in the chest Ø Skin conditions including eczema and psoriasis Ø Difficultly sleeping Ø Muscular skeletal pain Ø Muscle tension

Even low levels of stress and anxiety, over time, can have this level of impact on the body, leading to further causes for absence.


Where return to work interviews were held, many of the individuals felt unable to open up to their manager about the real problems they were experiencing. The reasons for this varied. Some individuals felt the return to work interview was a tick box exercise, while others felt too reluctant to explain what was really going on for fear the information would be used against them, or the information would jeopardise their career and any chances of promotion. Some individuals expressed they felt there was a culture of silence as far as talking about mental health conditions went.

“The manager was part of the problem” In 3 of the cases, individuals felt the manager was part of the problem and therefore felt unable to open up to them about how they were feeling. When interviewed about alternative routes such as talking to a member of Human Resources (HR), two out of the three individuals expressed that they were still concerned the information would be put on file or used against them in some way. As they were already experiencing levels of anxiety and overwhelmed, they did not feel this was a safe route for them. One individual who worked for Social Services did advise that she had spoken to a member of HR and expressed that at times she felt suicidal. The member of HR referred her to the telephone counselling service. The individual subsequently ended up handing in her notice. 10 of those interviewed didn’t fully open up to their manager about what problems they were facing, or played down their problems because again, expressed that they were worried the information would be used against them, concerned how the information would affect future career prospects or felt that they didn’t have a strong enough relationship with the manager.

“I feared the information would be used against me”

3.4 Support Given To Employees


3 of the individuals who did speak more transparently about the problems they were experiencing felt that they didn’t receive a lot by way of support, and were simply offered a few days off. One individual employed by the NHS, who was absent for 7 months with depression, was offered 6 weeks counselling having been referred to O.H. After the counselling sessions were over the individual was advised that no further help could be offered. There was also no return to work interview conducted or contact kept with the individual during this prolonged period of absence that made the individual feel isolated and unwanted. This particular individual did finally return to work but continued to feel depressed, felt incredibly vulnerable and anxious with no coping skills to manage how they felt. Having sought help from The Mind Solution, they have since overcome depression and have a series of tools and techniques they can use to help remain calm and focused under pressure and have had no further periods of absence. After months of feeling stressed coping with a highly pressured management role, one individual did speak to their manager with the aim of trying to get some level of support but was told ‘we are all stressed’. 5 out of the 18 people interviewed reported that a telephone counselling service or EAP (Employee Assistance Programme) telephone line was available, however all 5 of the individuals reported that they had not used these telephone lines because they did not wish to speak to someone they did not know, had never met and who was located ‘miles away’ down a telephone about an issue so personal for them. In addition several of the individuals, particularly those with stress and anxiety, felt that talking about their issues over the telephone would not resolve the issue and hence why they had sought a more effective treatment.


Only 2 of the 18 individuals interviewed had a strong relationship with their manager and were able to discuss more openly how they were feeling and how the problem was affecting them. In these cases individuals expressed how their managers were empathetic and gave the individuals the option to have O.H. support. They were also offered the opportunity to work more flexibly at the time to help support them. In both cases individuals reported how having an understanding and supportive manager made a big difference to their overall wellbeing and helped them to better manage anxiety levels. They also reflected that it made them appreciate their employers more and made them want to do an even better job, thus raising engagement levels.

Positive Support Given To Employees

Yes No


In the cases where individuals received no support, the question was asked how this made them feel on a psychological level and the impact on their engagement with the organisation. Sadly over half of those interviewed expressed that they didn’t expect any support so it wasn’t a surprise to them to receive little or no support. Others acknowledged the lack of support made things at work more of a struggle because work is a place where so much time is spent. Several individuals reported they felt that they were ‘the only ones’ suffering. Responses given indicated that had a level of support been made better available, this would have enabled them to feel calmer and able to cope better. In one case an individual had to change job as a result of the problem they were facing and another two ending up resigning. In carrying out the research The Mind Solution recognised that had individuals opened up more to their managers at the time about the way they were feeling and the impact this was creating on their performance, then more support could have been offered. However individuals were too concerned that admitting they had a mental health condition was still seen as a stigma and one that could be used against them. This left them feeling trapped, not wishing to say they weren’t coping and seeking external help and support.

3.5 The Cost Of No Support


When asked to rate their employer's attitude towards mental health on a scale of 0 – 10 with 10 being excellent, the average score came out at 4.8. Where individuals had rated their employer's attitude to mental health as higher, this was reflected in either an EAP line being in place, a telephone counselling service being in operation or access to an Occupational Health Department. Where asked to describe their employer's attitude towards mental health in the work place, many painted a bleak picture describing how it is never talked about and despite being an ‘Investor in People’, this is seen by many as a tick box exercise. Many expressed how they felt the topic of mental health as a whole isn’t understood and how employers don’t see the value of investing in the right preventative training. Several of the clients worked for Social Services and the NHS and even within these public sector bodies, there were very few proactive measures in place to prevent or minimise mental health conditions and build resilience within staff. Only 5 of the 18 interviewed described their employer's attitude towards mental health as ‘sympathetic’, however they still felt that there could be far more done on a proactive level to raise awareness, change the culture and build resilience within people.

3.6 Employers Attitude Towards Mental Health


When seeking to identify what wellbeing or resilience training was in place, only 3 of the 18 people indicated anything of this nature had been featured.

Training that had been made available on these occasions had been a wellbeing week in one organisation, which focused more on work life balance than psychological health. In another case, one person indicated someone had spoken at a staff conference but the response had been mixed as people had been reluctant to speak out in such a large group. Within all 18 of the client’s employers there was nothing featured on a regular proactive basis to improve the physiological, emotional and physical wellbeing and resilience of its employees.

83%

0% 17%

Resilience and wellbeing training available

No

Consistent and Proactive training

One Off Wellbeing Event

3.7 Resilience And Wellbeing Training Available


Each client treated was given the help to overcome their problem and also the information, professional advice and practical tools and techniques to keep them in check going forward. As an example this included:

3.8 What Employees Would Like To See Featured

• Understanding the stress response and how to

identify the signs of stress • Techniques and tools for managing stress more

effectively and reducing stress levels as a whole • How to prevent emotions from hijacking performance

at work • How to achieve better quality sleep which impacts on

mood, energy and performance • How to achieve sustained energy throughout the day • How to stabilise blood sugar levels to positively

influence stress, anxiety, mood, energy and concentration

• Techniques to think more clearly • How to calm down the mind and change the internal

‘mind chatter’ influencing performance • Specific mind techniques to build confidence • Knowledge and tools to develop emotional resilience • How to create spare capacity to be able to cope

better with situations • How to change the way you think and behave to feel

better and perform better


When asked what difference having access to this type of training would have created in preventing or minimising problems, responses included: ‘A massive difference. Everyone has different things that stress them out and it would have made a massive difference knowing how to calm it (stress) down’. ‘I would have benefited greatly from something like this, it would probably have meant less absences and it would probably have helped me cope with problems’. ‘Understanding why you feel the way you do. You explained to me about the blood sugar levels and I was able to do something about it which has caused a huge difference.’ ‘It would have made an immense difference. My partner has a guy who works with them once a month on positive thinking and he loves it and is so motivated by it.’ ‘I was depressed when I was in my job and feeling low. A lot of people who accessed the library were drug users or had mental health problems. A lot were junkies and violent teenagers. We are not trained to cope with people like that. People tell you everything and really spill the beans on what’s happened to them in their life and you hear some really upsetting things. When you are dealing with things like that day in and day out it affects you and there is a high turn over of staff. So having training would have really helped. No one did anything because the council are always talking about budget cuts and your voice goes unheard.’ ‘There were some days I couldn’t even cope with someone phoning me. It was hard to get a handle on my emotions, which is why I came to see you. Had I had some of the techniques you shared, I could have dealt with it better and not let things get on top of me.’ ‘I would have been able to cope better, I would have been more in control, I would have felt more able to deal with the day to day. I would have felt more confident in my job. I wouldn’t have been off 8 months.’


‘A lot. I definitely needed something. Having seen you and learnt these tools I can now get over things a lot quicker than I would have been able to do in the past.’


When asked to rate how important clients felt it was for the organisation they worked for to invest in proactive resilience training in a bid to enhance wellbeing and performance levels, 67% indicated it was vital.

Having already received the education and resources in how to build emotional, physical and mental resilience, the benefits experienced included: ‘You are always going to have knocks. It would allow me to be more focused and be able to let go of things. Be able not to take things personally. To be able to switch off easily and compartmentalise work and home. With your support I have been able to get over the bad days a lot quicker.’ ‘It was hard to get a handle on my emotions, which is why I came to see you. Had I had some of the techniques you shared, I could have dealt with it better and not let things get on top of me.’ ‘Definitely, I found it a real struggle to turn off my negative thoughts or panic in meetings. I now know how to tune out and calm my mind because of the work we have done.’

67%

28%

5%

How important is it for organisations to invest in ongoing proactive

resilience training?

Vital

Very Important

Important

3.9 The Importance Of Investing In Resilience


Employee engagement is often viewed as the Holy Grail. Organisations including Virgin Atlantic have spent thousands trying to improve employee engagement levels. What is less commonly known and understood is that on a physiological level, in order to ‘connect’ and engage with an organisation, an individual needs to have access to all the parts of the emotional brain and cognitive thinking brain. Put simply, engagement relies on emotion and how an employee feels. Stress and anxiety in particular, compromise the ability for an employee to access these parts of the brain. Instead during times when a person feels stress and anxiety, they trigger an internal ‘survival’ response. During this response a person will release a cocktail of hormones including Cortisol, Norepinephrine, Corticotrophin releasing hormone, Adrenocorticotropic hormone and Adrenaline. In short these hormones act in a way that puts a person on a state of ‘high alert’. This high alert response may help to sharpen and focus the mind to deliver something such as a project, often making people believe they perform better under pressure. However, the survival response was only designed to be a very short-term response. The challenge presents itself because people are triggering this response all day every day, making the central nervous system spend longer and longer in the stress response. When the survival response is triggered a domino effect occurs within the physical body:

• Access to the cognitive thinking brain is disconnected • Adrenaline is diverted away from the major organs and gets

pumped into the adrenal glands

3.10 Impact Of Mental Health On Employee Engagement


• The functioning of the digestive system, immune system and reproductive organs slows completely down

• The sympathetic (stress) response within the central nervous system is triggered

• The body floods with survival hormones • All access to creative thinking shuts down and reactions are

purely based on primordial responses Stress is no longer the same short-term survival response experienced by our ancestors. In the 21st Century it is now a chronic condition triggered by our new fast paced way of living. Owing to a lack of education and knowledge about how to cope with stress or anxiety as an example, people start to rely on coping mechanisms such as alcohol, smoking, drugs, pharmaceutical support, food, etc. to get them through, leading to the problem getting further exacerbated. Whether consciously aware of it, most people are triggering the survival response every day. This can be a result of an argument or disagreement, deadlines and targets to meet, overwhelmed by workloads, struggling to find a solution to a problem, having to juggle too many things and not having the right coping mechanisms to manage them, presentations, webinars, meetings, having to tackle a tricky situation, the list goes on. When asked what impact investing in the type of regular training which builds resilience would create on engagement levels, the overall response amongst those interviewed was one of feeling valued and cared for. As one client replied ‘It would hopefully make for a much more positive workplace where people look for solutions to problems rather than focussing on the negative.’


As highlighted in this report, there is a clear link that a lack of resilience results in employees who are disengaged, struggling to cope, absent from work or not fully performing within their job role when at work. All of which will filter down to the bottom line profit of an organisation.

While some organisations have grasped the understanding that building the resilience of its workforce is a route to commercial advantage, many are still relying on traditional interventions such as EAPs and OH departments to tackle a growing problem. The analogy rings true that if you have done what you have always done, you will get what you have always got. Programmes such as those delivered by The Mind Solution, that take the ‘drip feed’ approach to developing the holistic resilience of employees will see results that are far more effective and long lasting than ad hoc events that are not part of a comprehensive wellbeing strategy.

Cost

• Absence - short and long term • Mediocre sales and customer satisfaction

• Presenteeism • Retention/recruitment/retraining

Time • Employee Relation Cases • Performance Management • Recruiting and training

Loss

• Low employee engagement levels • Losing high potential employees to competitors

• Bottom line cost to your company

4.0 Building Resilience – The Route To Commercial Advantage


As with any initiative, for employees to get on board, the commitment and backing of such programmes will be more rewarding when they come from the top down with visible support from senior management. Employees need to recognise that employers are serious about supporting their health and welfare and that programmes are not a ‘company or HR initiative’ that will be here one day and gone the next. Layered into any programme it is recommended that the right level of training and support for managers to help spot the signs of psychological health issues, and have the confidence about how to speak to someone about this is included. Managers don’t need to be mini therapists, but they are the key link between the organisation and the employee. Managers are already the ones responsible for conducting return to work interviews, managing performance, coaching and objective setting. Giving them the skills and knowledge to have what may feel to some, a difficult conversation, will help to prevent the ostrich approach to tackling such problems.


At The Mind Solution we believe that mental and emotional resilience is the most significant area of concern and the greatest area of opportunity. Employees are an asset to a business and it is as important to insure them as the building they work in. As echoed in a recent debate in HR Magazine with the HR Director of Pepsi Co, Matt Freeland and CEO of Catcass, Anthony Douglas; Human Resources, Wellbeing and Health and Safety Managers have a real opportunity to make a significant contribution to the business by taking the money spent on absence and ill health and investing that into comprehensive health and wellbeing strategies. This will allow senior leaders of the organisation to see the return on investment straight away.

Reduction in absence and £ of absence

Reduction in ER Cases

People capable of

raising their game

Increased levels of employee

engagement

Physically, mentally and emotionally

resilient workforce

Improved performance

5.0 Building the Business Case - The Essential Guide


To gain buy in from senior leaders and to achieve a positive return on investment for the business, wellbeing must be strategic and aligned with the overall business strategy. Even with today’s technology, many HR departments fail to collate statistical data needed to assess the current picture when it comes to absence. However big or small the organisation, data can be collated using a simple excel spread sheet. We recommend that a good starting point would be to assess:

• The cost of absence • The number of days lost due to absence • The types of absence • Employee engagement data

1. From this you can get clear on your objectives. Wellbeing

programmes that work and have clear ROI are the ones with specific objectives for the programme. They understand and are able to translate what they are trying to achieve and why. Focus on the long-term plan. Running ad hoc events on mindfulness or stress management sessions is too much like throwing jelly against the wall and hoping it sticks.

A comprehensive and well-communicated

wellbeing strategy should be as important as the

overall business plan.

Senior Managers are under increased pressure to

reduce costs and optimise return on investment in

every way possible. Now is a great time for HR

professionals and Wellbeing Managers to

demonstrate exactly how employee wellbeing

impacts the bottom line.


2. Creating the strategic business case for wellbeing. Savvy

HR leaders and Managers are recognising that employee wellbeing is no longer ‘nice to have’ or a staff benefit and is a significant contributor to creating a high performance working culture that directly influences the bottom line. Create the right buy in from Directors and Senior teams with a robust business case.

3. Create wellbeing programmes that are Fit for Purpose. A

one size fits all approach won’t deliver you the ROI you are looking for with your wellbeing programme. Working with wellbeing experts such as The Mind Solution, will tailor make your wellbeing programme to ensure it delivers what your workforce needs to be healthier, happier and performing efficiently.

4. Recruit wellbeing champions. The responsibility for wellbeing

doesn’t just sit with the organisation. Taking responsibility for the health and wellbeing of themselves is equally up to the individual. Using teams of wellbeing champions helps to spread the responsibility for wellbeing throughout the organisation and helps to ensure employee uptake and engagement. The champions can gain feedback from employees on what specific wellbeing initiatives would be well received.

5. Effective communication. Wellbeing programmes that work

are the ones that also have a great communication strategy to ensure the maximum take up and impact. Recruiting in house wellbeing champions will also help to get the word out there and create greater interest and buy in from employees.

6. Create a wellbeing culture. The most effective programmes

are ones that weave their way into the foundation of the business and become part of ‘how we do things around here’. This is achieved by regular activities to support employee wellbeing ensuring that health and performance go hand in hand. A culture of positive wellbeing is one that also reflects how people are managed.


7. Measure and evaluate. With clear objectives, it makes it easier to evaluate the impact and ROI of the wellbeing programme. Measurement of ROI also includes employees' levels of engagement and engagement scores; job satisfaction; ability to cope with change; improvement in customer satisfaction and business performance.

8. Feedback. Employee feedback in the form of surveys or focus

groups allows you to get real world feedback on what’s worked, what has been well received and what can be done better to ensure the continued success of the programme.

9. Celebrate success. Remember to share the success and good

news stories on company intranet sites and in newsletters or at meetings where appropriate. This not only helps to ensure continuous momentum on the programme but also to embed the culture of the organisation to one of wellbeing.

Are you ready to put wellbeing on the strategic agenda of your organisation?

Our office is based in Edinburgh, at the heart of Scotland. However

our services to you as a valued partner span the Globe. As long as

an airline flies there, we will come and provide bespoke solutions to

build the resilience and develop the mind set of your people.

You can communicate with us in the following ways; Telephone – Call: 0131 261 4842 or 07738 672291 Email: [email protected] Website: www.themindsolution.com


“Undertaking work with Sara proved to be really effective in terms of me

managing my stress at work. When I first went to see Sara, I felt backed into a corner at work with little control over the situation. By

spending some time with Sara and exploring techniques to manage my response to stress, I learnt some really useful techniques. I

particularly liked using the Heart Math technique and still use this method on a daily basis.”

Grace

"I visited Sara during a time in my life where I had undergone a lot of change which in turn resulted in a huge amount of anxiety for me. The

anxiety I suffered was so bad that sometimes it was so difficult for me to get out of bed in the morning. I wasn't myself. My mind was constantly

elsewhere, never in the present. I knew I didn't have to go on feeling like this and wanted to do something to fix it so I went to see Sara. After 2

sessions with her I have seen a massive improvement in my wellbeing. Through EFT and hypnotherapy, she helped me to view the things I had been through and to view change in a more positive way and taught me ways to tackle my anxiety whenever it cropped up. I

honestly cannot recommend what she does highly enough, the skills she has and her amazing personality made me feel at complete ease when around her and I cant thank her enough for her help. I don't know

where I would be if I hadn't decided to have a session with her" Ciara

“When I first came to Sara I didn’t know how to manage any of the

anxiety or depression I had been feeling for nearly 10 years, after getting nowhere with doctors and counsellors I felt very alone. I instantly felt at ease with her and knew I was in capable, kind hands. Not only has Sara given me the tools to deal with times of stress or difficulty, I have noticed a big shift in my thinking and how I react to situations. She

has helped me let go of negative patterns I never even knew I was following. Sara has also taught me how our body and mind are

intricately linked and how to have a better awareness of looking after myself particularly in times of difficulty. Sara has helped me make

changes that I so desperately needed and I cannot recommend or praise her enough.”

Kirsty

“I had been suffering from anxiety and panic attacks for the last 33 years from the age of 9. These would come in bouts around 7 years

apart and last for around 3 months before getting better. The only help I had in dealing with these were anti-anxiety prescription pills from my GP

and that was only in the last 15 years.


When I started to get another bout of anxiety 18 months ago I thought it would just be the usual and go away, however this time it was different. I

started to withdraw myself from things I usually loved doing e.g. going out, going to football etc. At work I also became withdrawn, by trying to avoid anything that could trigger off another anxiety attack. My home life suffered as well, I would come home from work tired and listless and go

to bed around 8.30 pm. 18 months is a long time of constantly feeling anxious and I decided to seek help by searching the internet for a way to get better. I looked at several peoples websites and was actually anxious about whether I was doing the right thing or not. I decided to call Sara after a quite severe

panic attack at work one day and her reassuring voice quickly calmed me down. That’s when I knew I had picked the right person to

visit. I nervously visited Sara for my first appointment and was greeted with a

welcoming smile. The first session was all about me telling Sara about my symptoms and how long I had been suffering and that’s when I had my

first hypnotherapy to help my anxiety. “I visited Sara weekly over the next few weeks, receiving EFT (Emotional freedom technique) and Hypnotherapy, as well as life guidance because

I had put on such a lot of weight during this period of anxiety. Sara talked about the connection with eating a healthy balanced diet (not

being ON a diet) would also help my mind by keeping sugar levels at a normal level.

I can’t believe the difference. Each week I could feel myself gradually feeling better and better with

each session until the penultimate session blew all the years of anxiety and panic away with a very emotional EFT session.

The following morning I woke up and felt as happy as I have ever been and have continued to feel this way since then. I made a final appointment and Sara practised Hypnotherapy to cement the feelings to

allow me to continue this way for good. Sara has also regularly been in contact via email, when she finds

things that I can read about on the internet. I plan to arrange an appointment to see Sara every few months just to ensure my continued

good health and maybe show off the new ME!! I would recommend anyone suffering from panic attacks and anxiety to

visit Sara for help, she has helped me turn my life back around and I now feel GREAT.”

Scott

“I contacted Sara just a few weeks after the break up of a long term relationship. I was struggling with feeling very emotional and I had lots of thoughts and questions spinning around my head that I just couldn’t take control of. Sara first made contact over the phone and even that

five minute chat provided me with some comfort and a feeling that


these were all things that I could address with Sara’s help. I was anxious before my first session as I had never seen a therapist of any kind before

but Sara put me at ease from the start and really seemed to understand how I was feeling. Sara is a fantastic listener and she also

asked the right questions to focus my mind on the future rather than spending lots of time going over the past. Sometimes she had

to be persistent to really get me to think about things but I think that helped me to get the most out of the sessions.

I can honestly say that with Sara’s help I have made a huge amount of progress in just a few weeks. I have gone from being a bit of an

emotional wreck to not having cried once since that first session! It’s not that all memories have suddenly been erased, it’s more the case that I

can think about the break up and feel okay with it. The nagging subconscious thoughts and panic about the future have pretty much gone. Sara has also taught me how to tap as a way of dealing with any negative

emotions – it’s early days but I’ve used it a few times and it’s good to know that something so simple to do is available as a coping mechanism

whenever I want to try it. I’m so glad I plucked up the courage to see Sara – in just a few

sessions she has really helped me to turn things around and I feel so much more together now. My friends have commented on what a positive attitude I’m displaying and I can genuinely say that I’m looking

forward to the future. Thank you!” Hetty

“A recent job promotion caused my life-long feelings of anxiety to

escalate to a point where I needed to get some help to cope with stress and to manage my reaction to it. I’m naturally guarded, was very unsure

about hypnotherapy and had never heard of EFT. Sara made me feel comfortable and safe to open up. After just 2 sessions I have identified

and accepted the real causes of my anxiety and I feel a big weight has been lifted. Sara is warm, caring, patient and very genuine. I’m so much better, calmer and happier, but most importantly, I’m still me. I would

recommend anyone wanting to improve their life to see Sara; there is nothing to lose. Thank you Sara, I only wish I’d seen you years ago.”

Rachel

employee wellbeing report 2015

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