Little by little, a little becomes a lot

April is Stress Awareness Month and this year’s focus is Little by little, a little becomes a lot, highlighting the positive impact from making small and consistent adjustments over time to support overall wellbeing

At Schools Advisory Service, we know that stress related absence is one of the highest causes of unexpected absence. We also know schools who take a proactive approach to wellbeing experience less unexpected absence and a more positive workplace.

1 in 5 UK workers needed to take time off work due to mental health or stress

In a recent report from Mental Health UK, they noted 1 in 5 workers in the UK needed to take time off work due to mental health or stress. This figure is only set to rise looking at our own data. With SAS policies, you can include full stress cover which covers all bases for stress related claims, irrespective of whether the cause of absence is work-related or personal.

Other than counselling, how can we support ourselves?

Counselling is often the first thought for many people when stress is the suspected cause of absence. Whilst counselling in reaction to stress events is something very beneficial, we believe prevention is better than cure.

At SAS, our monthly wellbeing focus for April is our SAS GYM service, specifically the benefits of weight management and weight loss. Exercise can be a powerful tool to build resilience against stress and weekly exercise gives your mind a chance to balance itself, promoting improved mood and greater body positivity.

Mindfulness is also a powerful tool to build resilience against stress and negative mental health symptoms. Mindfulness is best described as living in the moment, acknowledging your feelings without judgment and it helps provide tools to manage negative thoughts and stress. Yoga, short breaks for relaxation, catching up with family and friends are all good ways to give your mind a break and encourage hormonal rebalancing.

Most of us know this, however the struggle for many people is taking that first step in looking after ourselves. Particularly for Leaders in Education, it is not easy to find the time or resources to properly practice self-care.

Contact our team to learn more about our Leadership Support and how we can help you make small, practical changes that support you and your whole school. We provide a range of tools and services to manage stress, improve workplace culture and build sustainable frameworks which support the whole school in delivering education.

This is a sponsored article brought to you by Schools Advisory Service. You can find more information at https://schooladvice.co.uk/.

You can access Step One of the School Leaders Thriving Programme for free here. USE CODE EdExec.