We all feel anxious at one time or another. Usually it’s about a specific event or situation. But millions of people experience a different and more general level of anxiety. Generalised anxiety affects their lives and mental health in a more fundamental way.
Research suggests that 6.6% of the population experiences generalised anxiety. For people with severe mental illness, anxiety can become particularly severe as stigma, discrimination, medication side effects and other factors generate additional and acute anxieties.
Much of this goes unseen by the majority of the population. It’s time that changed.
Opening Up
Even less severe anxieties can lead to significant health problems through increased stress, lack of sleep and overuse of alcohol and other substances. Often it’s all hidden behind a brave face and an attempt to carry on as normal. It’s time for us all to open up.
Mental Health Awareness Week 2023 is all about anxiety. Within Octavius we’re using this as a way to shine a light on anxiety so that we all feel more comfortable talking about it and asking for help when we need it.
It’s well documented that construction, and the infrastructure sector in particular, have long-standing issues with mental health and wellbeing. Partly this is down to the culture and partly it’s due to the nature of the work we do.
Anxiety and its side-effects have serious implications in an industry where the safety of colleagues and the general public relies on everyone being fully switched-on at all times.
Our Commitment
Mental Health Week is an invaluable way to draw attention to mental health and anxiety. We care deeply about the physical and mental health of the people who work for us and our supply chain partners. Our STOPThink! cultural change programme has four modules specifically related to health and wellbeing.
We want everyone to recognise and speak up when they’re not at their best and have the confidence to positively challenge when they’re concerned about colleagues and supply chain partners.
You can find out more about promoting health and wellbeing in the infrastructure sector by downloading our white paper. Rail Wellbeing Live are also hosting “Wellbeing Wednesdays”, a series of livestreams to give people the opportunity to kick-start their wellbeing journey. To find out more and join the events, click here.
