Happy New Year?

Emily Blain, Fintel’s HR Director, speaks of speaking up if you’re struggling by Emily Blain

I’m sure that, just like me, by the second week of January you’re sick to the back teeth of saying, and hearing, ‘Happy New Year’ in every single interaction! In addition to getting tedious quickly, the traditional new greeting is also not entirely accurate for everyone, as the festive season, and start of a new year, can bring its fair share of challenges to our mental wellbeing.

The stresses of Christmas – whether financial, familial or due to the impossibility of trying to have ‘the perfect day’ – can wreak havoc on even those with good mental health, and be extremely damaging for those who are already struggling. And, whilst adverts trying to sell us gym subscriptions and nicotine gum may suggest that new year is a joyous time of shaking off the past and striding off into a sunlit future, the truth is that reflecting on the successes and failures of the previous year isn’t always an easy process.

So, with potentially a lot to already deal with mentally, comes another step which very few of us relish – a return to the workplace. No matter how much we enjoy our jobs, there is a nearly always a degree of regret about losing the freedom we’ve enjoyed during time away from work, seeing loved ones or being able to unwind.

Grumbles about a return to work, and references to ‘Blue Monday’ are fairly commonplace, and generally innocent. However, if you do experience this drop in mental wellbeing, it is important to properly understand if you are facing a fleeting case of the ‘back to work’ blues, or potentially a more significant and longerterm mental health issue connected to your work.

There can be numerous indicators of poor, or deteriorating, mental health, and it’s important to remember that they’re different for everyone. However, I believe it’s key to measure the impact your work life has upon your wellbeing. If stress or worry about your workload, environment, the way you are treated at work, or any other employment related issue is affecting your sleeping or eating patterns, causing you distress or anxiety, or proving disruptive to your ‘real’ life, then I would urge you not to ignore it.

In future articles, I’ll be looking at issues around managing mental health in the workplace but, if I could leave you with one key point, it would be to be honest with yourself and your support network about how you’re feeling. Unlike that box of After Eights you shoved to the back of your cupboard this January, it’s unwise to leave your mental health to sit patiently and quietly gathering dust until next Christmas!

FLY ME TO THE MOON

Our Editor explores a new moon installation at Durham Cathedral by Erica Crompton

This winter a trip to the ecclesiastical Durham Cathedral saw an art installation that is currently touring the UK. Luke Jerram’s artwork, Museum of the Moon, illuminated the high vaulted ceiling and colossal carved pillars of the Cathedral based in the North East.

At seven metres in diameter, the inflated moon installation is a fusion of 120dpi detailed NASA imagery of the lunar surface, moonlight, and surround sound composition created by BAFTA and Ivor Novello award winning composer Dan Jones. Each centimetre of the internally lit spherical sculpture represents 5km of the moon’s surface, at an approximate scale of 1:500,000.

The Reverend Canon Charlie Allen says, “The moon looms large in the gifts of creation, the unsung backdrop of our daily lives. It reflects the sun bringing light to the darkness of night; its gravitational pull shapes the ebb and flow of the tides; its fullness defines the date of Easter. Here at Durham Cathedral, the moon’s presence reminds us of our ancient foundation as a place of pilgrimage – a place in which awe abounds as we reflect with perspective on our own lives and rejoice in the wonder of being part of God’s creation.” Although the building of Durham Cathedral commenced in 1093, today it’s been made accessible to wheelchair users, although the push to the top of the hill where the cathedral sits is tough on the lungs. As a person with experience of psychosis I also found the Museum of the Moon to be enormously relaxing to sit under – it felt meditative, but it was also nice I could enjoy it with Paul in his wheelchair.

Accessibility of the Museum of the Moon artwork is intended, too, as Luke Jerram tells Hopezine: “From my perspective I try to make artwork that can be enjoyed by everyone.”

Find more information at www. durhamcathedral.co.uk or to find where the Museum of the Moon is on next visit https://my-moon.org/about/

A DAY IN DURHAM

Ensconced by greenery, Durham city charms Hopezine’s Editor by Erica Crompton

Whether you’re a nature lover, culture vulture or history buff, you’ll find all this and more on a day out in Durham. Take in the historic streets of Durham City to the world-famous Durham Cathedral and Castle UNESCO World Heritage Site – an Instagram-worthy view dotted with small groups of students. In the Durham Dales, explore themed galleries that showcase the stunning collections of fine and decorative arts at The Bowes Museum. At nearby Raby, discover one of England’s finest medieval castles with its stunning 18th century Walled Garden. And in Bishop Auckland, enjoy the Deer Park, part of The Auckland Project, and follow in the footsteps of the Prince Bishops of Durham who created the park over 800 years ago. If you prefer shopping to sightseeing, head to Dalton Park, the biggest outlet shopping centre in the North East. Or take in the charm of Durham City with its independent retailers. We recommend an accessible stay with accessible swimming pool at The Radisson Blu hotel, set along the River Wear. The only draw back is that the accessible rooms didn’t have a walk-in shower which meant Paul had to wash in the sink. Not to worry: in all we found Durham a quintessential English city peppered with historical and cultural charms.

For more information on a visit to Durham log-on to www.ThisIsDurham.com.