Tag: Mental Health Awareness

Are you feeling fed up with your job search? Are you feeling stressed and wanting to just give up? Is your job search affecting your mental health? Searching for a new job can be both mentally and emotionally draining. We’ve put together these tips on how to look after your mental health during this period.

Be selective

Whether you’re looking for a job full-time or doing this alongside a current position, avoid just thoughtlessly applying to every job you see. Targeting your search and focusing on the quality of your application can improve your chances of success. Hiring managers can tell the difference between someone just applying for the sake of it, to someone really wanting the job. If you have put time, effort, and passion into your application this will show.

Finding a new job doesn’t happen overnight, so applying to loads of jobs and not getting a response can leave you feeling discouraged.

Rather than waste your energy on jobs you don’t really want, try to find something that will work for you in the long run.

Take a break

It can be easy to get lost in hours and hours of job searching! That could be searching for vacancies, completing applications, amending your CV or writing cover letters. If you’re applying for a job full-time, make sure you set yourself a schedule and take regular breaks. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to be job searching all day long. Get some fresh air, exercise, and regularly eat healthy snacks and meals to keep your energy levels up.

Why not set up job alerts so that relevant roles go straight to your inbox? This streamlines some of the searching process and saves you time.

Positive Targets

It’s natural for job searching to feel negative, especially when you get rejection emails or even no response at all. This can lower your confidence and leave you feeling low, so find ways to give yourself a boost. It’s so important to not let your job search affect your mental health.

Each day, set yourself three tasks you wish to accomplish. Each time you tick off a task it will give you a sense of achievement. No matter how big or small, celebrate your wins!

Ask for help

Taking on this burden can be a lot for one person to manage and lead to feelings of loneliness. Why not enlist the help of a recruitment agency? An agency like Advance TRS will have a vast network of clients looking for staff, with some vacancies exclusive to that agency.

Our recruitment consultants have a strong understanding of the employer and jobs they are recruiting for, business culture and values. It is their job to work with you and align your ambitions, personality, and suitability.

Contacts Us

Searching for a job within the built environment? Having successfully placed hundreds of skilled candidates into major organisations at all levels, Advance TRS are best placed to find your next role.

Upload your CV and register an account with us to receive the following benefits:

  • Upload and manage multiple CVs
  • Set up personalised job alerts
  • Shortlist your favourite jobs
  • View your applications
  • Access to additional resources to support your job search
  • Work with our dedicated and experienced consultants

Mental Health Awareness Week 2021 was all about nature and the positive effect it has on our mental wellbeing. In a previous blog, we spoke about a great article Mentalhealth.org.uk published, talking about their top tips on connecting with nature to improve your mental health.

Growing food or flowers, exercising outdoors or being around animals can have lots of physical and psychological benefits and in this post, we wanted to share some of our favourite ideas with you.

Growing space

Not everyone has access to a garden, so instead, you could plant salad leaves or herbs in a window box or plant pot and watch them grow.

Bring nature to your home

Buy yourself some potted plants or flowers, or arrange a comfortable space to sit by a window where you can look out over a view of trees or the sky.

Connect with animals

The positive effect animals have on our mental health are well-known, so maybe you could benefit from visiting a local farm, hanging a bird feeder outside your window or even borrowing your friend’s dog to take for a walk.

Help the environment

There are countless things you can do to help protect the environment, for example going on a litter picking walk – you will be surprised how much rubbish you will find! Or, if you have some outdoor space of your own, you could plant seeds, such as bushes and flowers to help bees and other wildlife. 

It’s the simple things

If the above don’t really work for you, you could simply enjoy your morning cup of coffee or tea outside or sit in the local park during your lunch break. 

There are many more things you can do to help you (re)connect with nature. Mental health charities like mind.org.uk, as well as the MentalHealth.org.uk website offer great resources to help you.

At Advance TRS, we prioritise our staff’s wellbeing. We offer a Wellbeing Hub and have appointed qualified Mental Health First Aiders, who will act as the first point of contact for anyone feeling stressed or overwhelmed.

We are currently recruiting, so if you want to work for a company that places mental wellbeing and dealing with the causes of stress as a priority, send us your CV or take a look at our latest vacancies.

Looking back at the past year, it seems a good time to remind ourselves to not only look after our physical but also our mental wellbeing. That being said, those two very often go hand in hand, so going for a walk or hike in nature, for example, can help you boost both aspects of your life. 

While some had more time than ever before to pursue their hobbies and live a much slower life during the past 12 months, it has been a struggle for others. Some may have had to face uncertainty, felt lonely or experienced a decline in mental wellbeing. 

It is important to remember it is okay to not be okay, and there are lots of people, friends and organisations out there who want to help. So if you are finding things a little tough at the moment or if you are feeling good and want to keep it that way, why not try some of our top tips for self-care! 

Reach out

If you feel that you are struggling, please reach out to either friends or family, or one of the brilliant mental health charities like Mind, but also the Samaritans. Get whatever you’re dealing with off your chest rather than bottling it up. 

Take time for yourself

Do something you enjoy, whether that’s an activity or simply relaxing and reading a book or watching a film.

Start journaling

Having a gratitude journal can make a big difference to your thoughts and help you focus on the positives, rather than the negatives. Before you go to bed, sit down and write down 3 things that made you feel good that day. It might be as simple as your cup of coffee in the morning, that really helped you wake up. 

Do some yoga

You might be surprised how much a few simple yoga stretches can help calm your mind and keep stress at bay. A quick 10 minutes will already make a difference. 

Spend time outside

Now that it’s autumn, you can spot some amazing colours when you’re outside for a walk. Take some deep breaths to fill your lungs with the crisp autumn air.

We take Mental Health seriously

At Advance TRS, we prioritise the mental wellbeing of our staff. To provide a first point of contact when needed, we have appointed qualified Mental Health First Aiders. We also offer a Wellbeing Hub, where confidential support via an EAP helpline can be accessed at any time. These are only some of the steps we have taken and we continue to improve our mental health awareness.

We are currently recruiting, so if you want to work for a company that places Mental Health and Wellbeing as a priority send us your CV or take a look at our latest vacancies.

Each year our team take on a 10k steps a day challenge throughout March to raise money for charity. This year we are delighted to raise money for Surrey-based Mental Health Charity, Oakleaf.

The annual challenge is a great opportunity for our team to kick-start getting out and about and moving ahead of the nicer summer months.

At Advance TRS, we prioritise the mental wellbeing of our staff. To provide the first point of contact when needed, we have appointed qualified Mental Health First Aiders. We also offer a Wellbeing Hub, where confidential support via an EAP helpline can be accessed at any time. These are only some of the steps we have taken and we continue to improve our mental health awareness.

As part of our commitment to reducing the stigma against mental ill-health, we are delighted to champion Oakleaf for this year’s 10k steps a day challenge.

You can donate to our fundraising effort here. Any contribution is much appreciated!

The charity

Oakleaf is a Surrey-based mental health charity which also works as a social enterprise to provide vocational training for those suffering from mental health issues.

Oakleaf Enterprise was registered as a charity in 1997 and has since then worked hard to benefit people in need. Their main focus is delivering vocational training and work experience in upholstery, horticulture and IT, enabling clients to gain new skills, as the first step on their return to the workplace.

Some of our team members took part in a firewalk to raise money and support Oakleaf last year. Read about it here.

About mental health

Mental health problems can present in a wide variety of ways and out of Guildford, Waverley and Woking’s 214,900 population of 18 to 64-year-olds, it is estimated that 19,242 people suffer mixed depression and anxiety.

Overall, one in four people suffers from anxiety and stress which can have a considerable impact on their work life. Recognising problems early and implementing initiatives to support staff and colleagues will be of real benefit to them.

At Advance TRS, we understand that reducing work-related stress can be hugely beneficial to all. We take our obligation to ensure the health, safety and welfare of employees seriously. Our comprehensive wellness programme and mental health awareness training have recently been recognised as Advance TRS were shortlisted as finalists in the Workplace Mental Health and Wellbeing category in the Solent Business Awards 2019.

Follow our fundraising activities on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn for the latest news and take a look at our Advance Advice on Mental Health in the workplace for further information.

#ATRS10KCHALLENGE

Today six of our colleagues braved the firewalk for World Mental Health Day 2019 and raised an amazing £559.25 for Surrey-based mental health charity Oakleaf Enterprise. A big thanks to everyone who donated so generously! 

Before the walk, the team received an hour’s training where they learned how to master the walk. It also involved snapping arrows on their necks.

Since establishing, charity work and fundraising have been a key priority for Founder Andy Ridout and the wider Advance TRS team and everyone did really well today and made it look so easy!

The charity

Oakleaf Enterprise is a Surrey-based mental health charity which also works as a social enterprise to provide vocational training for those suffering from mental health issues.

It was registered as a charity in 1997 and has since then worked hard to benefit people in need. Their main focus is delivering vocational training and work experience in upholstery, horticulture and IT, enabling clients to gain new skills, as the first step on their return to the workplace.

About mental health

Mental health issues are common and can present in a wide variety of ways. One in four people suffers from anxiety and stress which can have a considerable impact on their work life. Recognising problems early and implementing initiatives to support staff and colleagues will be of real benefit to them. 

At Advance TRS, we prioritise the mental wellbeing of our staff and understand that reducing work-related stress can be hugely beneficial to all. We take our obligation to ensure the health, safety and welfare of employees seriously. Our comprehensive wellness programme and mental health awareness training have recently been recognised as Advance TRS were shortlisted as finalists in the Workplace Mental Health and Wellbeing category in the Solent Business Awards 2019. 

Follow our fundraising activities on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn for the latest news and take a look at our Advance Advice on Mental Health for further information.

Mental Health issues are common, especially depression, anxiety and those associated with misuse of alcohol and other drugs. Research indicates that 1 in 4 people experience some form of mental health issue in a year.

There are many myths and misunderstandings about mental health issues stemming from a lack of knowledge. This may result in people avoiding or not responding to someone with mental ill-health or not seeking professional help themselves. With greater community awareness, people will be able to better understand their own mental health and feel more comfortable about seeking out professional assistance.

Early intervention initiatives target those with mental health issues or developing mental health issues to prevent difficulties from becoming more serious and reducing the risk of knock-on effects.

Take a look at our Mental Health Matters Magazine for more information.

What you can do to help your colleagues:

Look out for changes in their mood and behaviour

Are they late or absent from work more? Are they isolating themselves? Do they get agitated easily and often feel overwhelmed? These could all be signs that someone is struggling with their mental health.

Talk! 

If you are concerned about a colleague, check if they’re ok. Ask them if they want to go for a walk or a cup of tea. Create a safe environment so they can open up to you if they need to.

Invite them for lunch 

Especially in contracting, where someone might move roles and businesses regularly, it can help them to feel more included and maintain social contact at work.

Create an environment where mental health is spoken about openly

Let colleagues know that it is ok to ask for help and support and encourage it. An Intranet page with useful links and information on confidential support services that are available can also be useful. 

Do some physical or mindfulness exercises… 

…as a team once or twice a week during lunch. This might become a regular activity that helps your colleagues’ mental wellbeing and acts as a team bonding exercise at the same time.

If you or someone you know needs urgent help or support, there are a variety of services available. Your organisation may also provide you with confidential access to counselling and advice line services.

Remember, you are not alone! 

We take Mental Health seriously

At Advance TRS, we prioritise the mental wellbeing of our staff. To provide a first point of contact when needed, we have appointed qualified Mental Health First Aiders. We also offer a Wellbeing Hub, where confidential support via an EAP helpline can be accessed at any time. These are only some of the steps we have taken and we continue to improve our mental health awareness.

We are currently recruiting, so if you want to work for a company that places Mental Health and Wellbeing as a priority send us your CV or take a look at our latest vacancies.