Blog: Isn’t it about time we started talking again?

Director, Lucy Hayes wants us to talk more, for the wellbeing of people and the good of the business!

For almost all of us, work today is very different from just 10 years ago. The UK’s workplaces are changing too. Workers have become digital nomads, and our working style has evolved to be agile, remote, flexible, hybrid – call it whatever name you want, it’s changed!

For many, this has meant the ability to better manage their time, work more effectively, be more productive and achieve a better work-life balance. But the other side of the coin is that this lifestyle creates a feeling of isolation and disconnection that can have a very negative impact on people’s wellbeing.

Recent reports in the last year from the Health & Safety Executive and mental health charities, indicate that a third of adults have experienced high or extreme levels of pressure at work, with 20% requiring time off because of stress. That’s more than 7.4 million people who have experienced mental health challenges at work but felt unable to ask for help. And it affects men more than women with 3.9m men affected, compared to 3.5m women.

Ironically, in solving one problem, it seems that the hybrid working revolution has created another. It has encouraged an always-on, always-available mindset, blurring the difference between home and work and making it tough for workers to mentally switch off. It’s also made it more difficult to talk about these issues because the email, phone and TEAMS technology that has facilitated the workplace transformation, appears to have killed stone dead the regular habit of talking and chatting.

To address this, the mental health charity Mind! is promoting “Time to Talk Day.” This is a welcome initiative to put the human component back into our working relationships, through the simple medium of talking.

Face-to face talking is something I would encourage everyone in Facilities Management to consider doing more. And not only in manager/report situations tackling the complex and difficult issues like mental health, but also in team events, planning and brainstorming sessions and one-to-one meetings. Talking is more spontaneous, dynamic and interactive and you pick up on body language and other signals that simply get missed in TEAMS calls and emails.

So, why not combine your meeting with an off-site coffee, or even breakfast or lunch, getting away from the pressured work environment and having a chance to relax? Do it, even if there’s no specific reason to have the meeting, other than to chat.

In business, actively managing staff mental health is so important. Here’s some great advice from ACAS on just how:

Talking tips – if you are a manager:

• be approachable, available and encourage team members to talk to you if they’re having problems, and even if they are NOT having problems
• keep in regular contact with your team to check how they are coping
• respect confidentiality and be calm, patient, supportive and reassuring if a staff member wants to have a chat about their mental health
• consider whether someone may need workplace adjustments, for example working more flexibly
• look after your own mental health and get support if you feel under more pressure than usual – this support could be a colleague at work, a mental health network or a counsellor
• clearly communicate the internal and external support available to staff – this can include offering practical help such as signposting to financial advice or bringing advice providers into work. (See the notes below on where to access help!)

Tips – if you are looking to look after yourself:

• don’t be scared to talk to people you work with or friends about how you’re feeling
• speak to your manager about how you’re doing, your situation, and ask what support is available
• reflect on what helps you feel more positive and what does not
• make time for activities you enjoy

Now is an especially good time to try this as winter months are when people are feeling their lowest because less sunlight, shorter days and reduced levels of Melatonin, create what’s become known as SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). But remember, “Time-to-talk day” cannot be just one day in the calendar, it’s a 365-day challenge that you need to accept.

At Q3 we have a Wellbeing Centre on the DAISY portal with help and advice for staff on health and fitness, ways of looking after your mental health and dealing with money matters.

There are also some really great resources on the Time-to-talk website which can help managers and supervisors develop their talking skills, including a clever true or false quiz. For example:

• Young people are more willing to talk about mental health. FALSE -young people are even more likely to bottle up their feelings than older people
• Events in the news can have an impact on our mental health. TRUE – some news can highlight a difficult reality to which we can relate, and coverage can seem incessant through 24-hour TV, news websites and social media

So, let’s start today… it’s good to talk!