12 minute read
Mental health
Help on managing anxiety at work
Last year, gas engineer Paul shared with us details of how his working life is affected by anxiety. We were overwhelmed by the response from readers, some of whom who wanted to share their own experiences.
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Everyone experiences anxiety at some stage in their lives, and it is often a healthy emotional response to stress that we encounter in our lives or a change in situation. But for the millions who suffer from anxiety disorders, or who experience extreme anxiety, it can be a debilitating condition, leading to panic attacks, depression and, in extreme cases, suicidal thoughts.
Anxiety becomes a problem when it has an impact on our day-to-day life, causing stress and fear that can cause a significant physical and emotional effect on mind and body. People with anxiety frequently report high levels of distress, and feelings of uncontrollable worry that spiral out of proportion. This can cause people to avoid the situations that make them feel anxious, even if that has a detrimental impact on their life.
Common physical symptoms of anxiety include feelings of extreme fear, feeling light-headed or dizzy, nausea, rapid breathing or hyperventilation, a fast, thumping or irregular heartbeat, and sweating or hot flushes.
Anxiety can also cause panic attacks, which are a type of fear response where many of these symptoms build up at once, leaving the sufferer feeling as if they are having a heart attack, about to pass out, or even feeling that they are going to die. Panic attacks can be extremely frightening, especially if you have never experienced them before.
What causes anxiety?
No one really knows exactly what causes severe anxiety, although some research suggests there may be a genetic factor. Other theories suggest that anxiety disorders may be more likely if someone has experienced a significant stressful event or trauma.
But exhaustion, stress, and long working hours are common triggers – something that the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated.
Research by the Mental Health Foundation shows that 62 per cent of the UK population experienced anxiety or worry during the first lockdown in 2020, and more than one in 10 people in the UK reported having had suicidal thoughts or feelings during the final two weeks of June 2020.1
With many gas engineers
being sole traders or part of small businesses, and considering the ongoing financial uncertainties and restrictions caused by Covid-19, it’s no wonder that many are experiencing anxiety for the first time, or are finding it harder to cope with an existing mental health issue.
Dealing with anxiety in the moment
There are many different techniques that can help you manage anxiety, and some of the most common revolve around breathing and grounding techniques. A popular breathing technique that can work during an anxiety attack is the ‘54321’ method: breathe in deeply through your nose for five seconds, hold your breath for five seconds, then slowly breathe out through your mouth for five seconds. Then acknowledge five things around you that you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing that you can taste.
Techniques like this can help because they act as a distraction from the anxiety, helping you refocus on what’s happening around you.
Engineers tell their stories
Some readers have been keen to share with gas engineers their own experiences and tips on how they manage their own anxiety. Paul Davis from Manchester says: “I have always suffered with anxiety. It manifests in many ways and affects my sleep – I wake up at night worrying about potential problems, jobs I’m going to do, or have just done. I’m very critical of my own work, and it’s got to be a
very high standard – I have to do my very best or I beat myself up inside. It’s a horrible feeling, and very hard to switch off.
“Over the years, I’ve learned not to give people exact timings of when I’m going to arrive, because it would bother me if I was even a minute or two late. Instead, I say I’ll be there ‘between 9 and 10am’. I would also advise engineers not to book too many jobs in, as they invariably take longer than you think. I used to think ‘I can do six jobs in a day’, but if there was a problem on the second one, my anxiety would kick in and I’d start rushing things and making mistakes.
“Working on your own can be difficult when you suffer from anxiety, because there’s no one to get a second opinion from. My anxiety makes me doubt my own skills, but manufacturers can help – their training courses give me knowledge. Also, if I’m nervous about something, I can ring their technical lines for a second opinion.
“I’m a big believer in mindfulness, so when I’ve had a bad day, I take my mind off things by going on my exercise bike, or spending time on a hobby – I’ve been teaching myself to play the ukulele. I’d also recommend a long walk at the weekend to relax.
“I’d advise any engineer who suffers from anxiety to try not to beat yourself up. People think admitting to it is a weakness, but it’s not. I’ve seen lots of different tradespeople over the years, and I think the ones with anxiety are better workers, because they don’t want to let people down.”
Meditation
Gas engineer Paul Hirst experienced panic attacks in his mid-20s. He says: “I learned to meditate, started exercising, and found ways to live a more balanced life. I haven’t had any serious anxiety issues since.
“Today, I teach people how to meditate and run online group meditation sessions. Meditating allows the mind to calm down and switch off, which helps you deal much more efficiently with problems and worries. I am a qualified hypnotherapist as well as a gas engineer, and have used hypnotherapy to help people who suffer with anxiety and stress. Hypnotherapists reprogram the subconscious mind and replace negative behaviours, thoughts, and emotions with positive ones.
“Keeping fit, eating healthily, drinking lots of water and getting enough sleep can all help reduce stress and anxiety.
“I’d also recommend writing down your problems and challenges, and prioritising them. List the solutions and actions that you are going to take. This will help prevent your mind from being overloaded and waking up in the middle of the night worrying.”
A gas engineer who wanted to remain anonymous says: “When I am anxious, it affects my ability to concentrate, particularly if I am taken out of my comfort zone. My self-confidence can be quite low, and I get easily stressed.
“The things that help me are to
Help on managing anxiety at work
Baxi and MENTalk
Baxi partnered with MENTalk in 2020. MENTalk is an online community, founded by tradespeople, that encourages men to support each other to know that they are not alone.
Together, the Baxi and MENTalk team have created useful resources online to support tradespeople, including information on suicide prevention and coping through lockdown. The partnership has also promoted a range of fun activities, online and on social media, to help connect the plumbing and heating community.
Steve Smith, CEO of MENTalk, says: “As self-employed tradesmen ourselves, we’ve had our own personal journeys with poor mental health. We are very open to speaking about it, and hope to create a culture that makes it normal to do that.
“It’s hard, and you might feel that you’re the only one going through something, but you are not alone. There is help for you and you do not have to suffer by yourself.
“It’s not weak to speak out about how you feel. It takes great strength to speak about your feelings, and you can do it, but it’s so important not to put that pressure on yourself.
“We would obviously suggest you join our private Facebook community. There is no obligation to share your story, or comment if you don’t wish to, but someone may post something you can relate to, and then you will begin to see that you’re not the only one.
“Please look after yourselves and know that there is help out there if you want it. Be present with the people around you and know that sometimes saying to friends, family or even strangers a simple ‘how are you?’ can really make a difference.”
take a short break from the job, just sitting in my van for five minutes to calm down. I have also had to learn that it’s OK to say no to people. As a gas engineer, there is a lot of responsibility on my shoulders. I may get anxious if I have to tell a householder their boiler is dangerous, but I have to remember that if anything happened by leaving their boiler on, the consequences could be far greater.
“When I was at my worst, I gave up alcohol completely as this made the depression worse, and cut out caffeine as well. I take each day at a time now. Yes, sometimes it is like running through wet cement. If I gave into my feelings, some days I would probably never leave the house.
“I have sought medical help, and was given anti-depressants that stopped the physical symptoms of my anxiety – the rapid short breaths, heart palpitations and shaking hands. It did not help with what was going on inside my mind though, so I was referred for counselling. This helped me to recognise the triggers and see things differently.”
More support for mental health
There are many ways to manage anxiety, but it’s important to seek support and find ways to treat the source of the problem. Talking to a family member or someone you trust can be a great first step, as can talking to your GP.
GPs can refer you for free counselling therapies on the NHS, and can also prescribe anti-depressants and other medications. One common therapy available through the NHS is cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), which helps you manage your problems by changing the way you think and behave.
If your anxiety is being triggered by a specific event or issue, counselling can help. It can give you a safe space to talk to a trained professional. ■
1 www.mentalhealth.org.uk/coronavirus/ divergence-mental-health-experiences-duringpandemic
There are many support resources available online for people with any mental health issue. Here are just some of the places you can go to for help if you’re feeling anxious. If you’re experiencing depression, severe anxiety or suicidal thoughts, please tell someone or contact your GP straight away. • MENTalk: www.facebook.com/WeAreMENTalk • WOMENTalk: www.facebook.com/WeAreWOMENtalk • Mind, the mental health charity: www.mind.org.uk • Mental Health Foundation: www.mentalhealth.org.uk • NHS: www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression • Mindfulness: www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-
depression/mindfulness
What do future tradespeople want?
The finalists of 2020’s Screwfix Trade Apprentice recently gathered to share their experiences of working in the trade. John Mewett, CEO at Screwfix, outlines some of their discussions and what they mean for the industry.
Today’s apprentices are tomorrow’s skilled tradespeople. Supporting them as they gain the expertise they need for a successful career, as well as better understanding the challenges and key issues they face, is vital if future generations of essential trades are to thrive.
Key themes discussed by the finalists of the 2020 Screwfix Trade Apprentice competition included the importance of respecting mental health issues in the workplace, and a willingness to embrace new trends and renewable technologies to drive a sustainable future.
The challenge of Covid-19
The health crisis has placed untold pressure on everyone, including tradespeople, as businesses and employees have had to adapt to the impact of Covid-19 in the workplace.
The younger generation will be particularly hard hit by the pandemic fallout, with job opportunities under pressure as companies deal with the challenges they’ve faced.
Despite such difficult times, every effort must be made to support the ambition of the next generation of gas engineers, so that demand for skilled tradespeople can continue to be met.
Those at the beginning of their trade careers undoubtedly possess the drive and determination to succeed. This was abundantly clear among the inspirational talent that took part in Screwfix’s Trade Apprentice 2020 competition. Aside from their impressive technical abilities, it was also interesting to hear their views on crucial industry topics, which shone a light on how today’s apprentices – and tomorrow’s expert tradespeople – are thinking and feeling as 2021 begins to unfold.
Raise awareness of mental health
The apprentices hold a collective belief that, although mental health in the workplace has been increasingly debated in recent years, there is still much more to do to raise awareness across the trades.
A prime example is the culture of bravado that is sometimes seen in the construction industry. The apprentices said this needs to be shed so that individuals can be themselves while at work, and don’t have to conform to an old-fashioned stereotype that today’s younger generation simply does not recognise.
It is important that people feel able to talk to their colleagues, and are not afraid to share their experiences and feelings. More mental health resources and training should be made available across all the trades.
The Time to Talk initiative is a great step forward, as is the availability of the Access to Mental Health Support Service for Apprentices from the government.
Learning renewable skills
Apprentice gas engineers are focused on the innovations in technology that can help meet household demand for greener, more energy efficient products.
The renewables sector was viewed as offering great career opportunities, backing up the widespread green agenda. The apprentices discussed wanting to work with consumers to deliver the environmental benefits that renewable solutions can provide. A combination of manufacturing innovation, and the increasing influence of new tradespeople entering the sector over the coming decades, should ensure real progress is made in the crucial take-up of the renewable solutions needed to tackle climate change.
It should be made as simple as possible for tradespeople and apprentices to gain the TrustMark accreditation needed to carry out projects as part of the new Green Homes Grant scheme. In addition, the introduction of top-up training modules on the latest renewable energy products and services would also be a positive move to help all engineers upskill.
Many apprentices are already tech-savvy, and can bring a generational ability to support their employers with social media and online marketing, to make the most of the business opportunities presented by digital platforms. Our finalists also recognised the role that technology can play in helping them to learn new skills, with many of them regularly viewing trade ‘Day in the Life’ videos which helped to inspire them to take up a skilled trade.
Based on the intelligence and passion demonstrated by these apprentices, the future of the trade is in good hands. It is vital that all parties across the construction trades, despite the current difficulties, provide the support and opportunities needed for our next generation of gas engineers to flourish. ■
