Hello and welcome. Based in Hampshire and covering Berkshire, Surrey, London and throughout the South East, NewDay Coaching is a life coaching and wellbeing practice providing coaching, support, understanding and awareness around all aspects of mental health. I am also available for online coaching wherever you may be.
At the core of NewDay Coaching is a recognition that returning to work after an absence is hard. If that absence has been because of mental health issues then just thinking about returning to the workplace can reignite feelings of stress and anxiety.
67% of people suffering from mental illness believe that workplace stress (long hours, unrealistic workloads or bad management) either caused or exacerbated their condition.
In 2017, staff turnover, sickness and lost productivity resulting from poor mental health cost UK employers £42bn. This reinforces the fact that, in addition to the moral argument for looking after employees’ wellbeing, employers also have a strong financial incentive for doing so.
So NewDay coaching is all about providing support and advice to facilitate that return to work. To make the challenges it throws up more manageable and to make it far more likely to be successful benefiting both the individual and their employer.
1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem each year
90% of people with mental health problems still experience stigma
Mental health is the leading cause of sickness absence in the UK costing an average of £1,035 per employee per year.
The majority of people with a mental health problem wait over a year before telling their closest family and friends
You don’t have to be an expert to help someone experiencing a mental health problem. Just be a friend - listen and don’t judge.
People with a mental illness can hold down a successful job. And be a star performer.
Therapy and support can make a real difference
I have suffered two periods of depression in my life. Both took me to really dark places and at times I never thought I would get through them. And in that first period there were times I didn’t want to get through them. But my family never stopped being there or supporting me and eventually with their love I started talking about what I was feeling. That decision to open up was essential and it was only at that moment that recovery started.
I was off work for several months on both of those occasions while I saw a therapist to help me deal with the causes of my depression. On both occasions I got better, but the first time I returned to work I did so with no plan and no support. I remember the loneliness and isolation as I closed the front door behind me on that first day - the first time I had been outside on my own for months. I thought I was better so I should be able to return to work just like before. And while I was much better than I had been, I was still vulnerable and trying to deal with the stresses of returning to my place of work eventually took their toll.
I am absolutely convinced my second bout of depression was as a direct result of returning to work without any support to help me through the stresses. It took eighteen months to finally hit me hard, but looking back I know it had been building for a long time. This time around though, I knew that I couldn’t deal with it alone, and I knew that when I was again ready to return to work I needed to do it with a plan and much more awareness and support.
I still have ups and downs - just like anyone, but I am much better prepared to recognise the symptoms and seek support before things get too bad.
There are many sources of support available. Just talking to a friend or family member can be a relief, reminding you of how loved you are and that you are not alone. Your GP can be a great source of help and advice - I couldn’t have managed anywhere nearly as well as I did with out the fabulous support of Dr Ahmed in Yateley. Professional therapists and counsellors make a difference - just make sure you find one that you personally get along with. And then there are organisations out there dedicated to offering you support: some of them are listed below. This list is not meant to be exhaustive, nor indicative of any personal experience of the organisations themselves.
Please note. These links do not indicate any endorsement of NewDay Coaching by these organisations.
I am not a therapist or a counsellor. NewDay Coaching offers complementary support to therapeutic care, dedicated to helping you plan and prepare for your return to work, whether it is back to an existing role or to find and start something new. That said, I have my own experiences of mental illness and recovery and want to share some of what I have learnt.
