Article
Inspired by good health
I will be honest and say this article is inspired by our MD, Bev Findlay, who is a champion at Chase & Holland for good Mental Health. It was with this in mind that Bev has been studying and doing courses about mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.
I think the real turning point for me, and when she convinced me we should be investing in the subject, was when she asked the question “what does mental health mean to you?” My response, I am embarrassed to say, was negative—I thought of people suffering and having a generally rough time. In addition, I was thinking of the cost to the business when someone is unable to play their part in the organisation.
My Initial View
I was so wrong. The starting point when thinking about mental health must be thinking of what you can do to promote good health, rather than what poor health looks like.
A New Perspective
What I want to talk about is what is called the Stress Container. The concept is so simple and the diagram shows what is meant really well.
"How wrong was I, the starting point when thinking about mental health must be thinking of what you can do to promote good health, rather than what poor health looks like."
Understanding the Stress Container
Basically, it is understanding firstly what the capacity of your stress container is. After this, it focuses on making sure it never gets beyond capacity by managing the good things and bad things that go in.
Stress flows into the container, and if the container overflows, problems develop - emotional snapping! Helpful coping strategies act as the taps to let the stress out. The size of your stress container varies depending on how much sleep you have and a person’s vulnerability to stress.
Stress is generally caused by Work, Family, Money, Relationships, Trauma, Health, and Bereavement. Our ability to cope with what life throws at us is often about balancing the equation of Sleep, Exercise, Balanced Diet and Communicating how you feel, against overworking, drinking too much, and bottling everything up.
In summary, I love the concept of the Stress Container. It is easy to relate to and a useful tool for managing your own stress levels. For more details, go on www.mhfaengland.org
