A report by the Mind mental charity shows that time off, sickness, and staff turnover caused by stress can cost businesses in the UK up to £42 billion per year. Wowza. The good news, however, is that figures like this have really been the kick up the bum that many business owners have needed to improve health and wellbeing in the workplace. As a career coach, I work closely with a lot of businesses and I really can see that wellbeing is becoming a greater priority, which is f

“Christmas, children, is not a date… it’s a state of mind”. Those are the words of American author Mary Ellen Chase, and oh how right she was! Unfortunately, for a massive number of us, this state of mind is anything but happy and festive. In fact, many of us start to feel stressed, worn down, anxious and even downright miserable at this time of year. It’s even been said that Christmas is as stressful as running a marathon! The truth is that we don’t have to be stressed or mi

Is there a cure for burnout? If there is, let me know! I’ve read all sorts of studies and I think I really have heard it all. There are even some ‘experts’ who say that humour can cure burnout. Well, If we don’t laugh we’ll cry, I suppose, but I’ve yet to meet anyone that has 100% ‘cured’ their burnout. It’s something that doesn’t just go away because, guess what, burnout breeds burnout. But that doesn’t mean we need to live with it. Burnout is real. It’s something that needs

Throughout my career as a confidence and career coach, I’ve met with so many people who’ve come to me with the idea that all their troubles will just float away if they had the perfect job. Ride tester for a theme park? Garlic bread technician? We’d never be stressed in those jobs, right? Wrong! I’m going to let you in on a little secret: every job has its own challenges, and everyone feels the stress and strain at one time or another. How work stress affects us is all down t

With absenteeism drastically rising each year costing the UK economy £73 million annually workplaces are constantly looking to improve the working environment and culture for their people. In addition, they need to focus on individuals who may be suffering from an emotional well being or mental health concern - sometimes a severe one. How can you, your HR team, your leaders, your managers and your colleagues do this and look after their own well being? Inspired by Mental Heal

I invariably end up discussing time and the constraints my clients feel as we all seem to be  constantly searching for the ultimate Work Life Balance. In all honesty, I am not sure if this exists anymore with the technology that keeps us connected to work and can constantly distract us. I've spent many a 'quick 5 minute break' on Instagram only to find myself 30 minutes later wondering why I have not completed a workshop or written a post. So how can we switch off from 'work