Stress Awareness Month April 2023

Stress Awareness Month is a yearly campaign that aims to raise awareness about modern-day stress, its causes and the ways to combat stress. According to the Mental Health Foundation, 74% of adults have felt so stressed in their lives that they are unable to cope and feel overwhelmed with life. Research suggests that record numbers of people are burnt out. A study in 2021 showed that 67% of workers said their burnout had increased during the Covid 19 pandemic, due to the disruptiveness and uncertainty surrounding everyday life at the time. Three years later, a large number of employees are still reporting feelings of burnout.

The theme for this year’s campaign is ‘It’s Time for Action’. The goal is to inspire and encourage individuals to not only speak up about how they are feeling but to take it a step further and create positive changes in their lives, both personally and professionally.

Here at Natta, we are passionate about our employee’s health and wellbeing. We encourage our staff to have open conversations and discussions in the workplace surrounding mental health, without the fear of facing any stigma. This month, our site teams will be attending a ‘Toolbox Talk’ to discuss and raise awareness about stress and the importance of looking after their mental health. People working in the construction industry can be particularly at risk, due to the demands of the industry; so we know that a supportive working environment can have a great impact on our mental health and wellbeing.

What is stress?

Stress can be described as the physical feeling we get when our body feels under pressure. When we are put in a situation that is out of our control, our body switches to ‘fight or flight’ mode. Stress can have both physical and mental impacts on the body. Everyone will experience stress in their lifetime which is a normal feeling. Sometimes stress can even be helpful and motivating. However, long-term stress can lead to health concerns, and too much stress can lead to physical and mental exhaustion, increasing feelings of burnout.

What are the signs and symptoms?

• Feeling irritable, angry or tearful.
• Feeling worried, anxious, hopeless or scared.
• Struggle with making decisions, racing thoughts or feeling overwhelmed.
• Skin reactions like stress rash or hives.
• Feeling sick, dizzy or faint.

How to combat stress

• Look after your social wellbeing.
• Make time for self-care.
• Get enough sleep.
• Eat healthily and exercise.
• Prioritise and organise your workload.

Resources available to Team Natta

Here at Head Office, our staff have access to a gym and break out room, which can be used if they want to work out, or simply take a break away from their desks. We also hold a monthly Staff Social for our Head Office staff. These provide a great opportunity to get to know people in a relaxed setting, outside of the working environment. Each year the Natta Group celebrates Wellness Week, which encourages our staff to participate in a range of activities throughout the working week relating to both health and wellbeing and how to take better care of ourselves.

In 2022, Natta signed up to The Mental Health Charter and also became a supporter of Lighthouse Club Charity. Since then, we have created a Mental Health Hub for our staff so that they can access helpful information and resources to help support their needs. We have rolled out the Construction Industry Helpline App on our staff’s mobile phones. So, if they need to talk to someone confidentially or need help quickly, the aid is there at their fingertips.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Courses

As a business, we are rolling out the Lighthouse Wellbeing Masterclass as well as a number of mental health and wellbeing courses. Our training provider, CISTC, also run Mental Health First Aid (MHFA). These first aid courses include an in-depth understanding of mental health and what factors can affect well-being in a workplace. The course also includes practical skills to recognise the triggers and signs of mental health.