Stress Awareness Month
April 2023
The annual observation Stress Awareness Month has rolled around once again and will be taking place in April. This event aims to raise awareness of the causes and treatments for stress in the modern-day stress epidemic.
This is a great opportunity to create an open conversation on the impact of stress. By talking about stress, we can work towards removing the guilt, shame and stigma around mental health.
#ChooseHope
This year’s theme for Stress Awareness Month is #ChooseHope. Stress Management Society’s aim this year is to take action and help others make the conscious decision to perceive things in a more positive way and create a plan to achieve their goals.
They say:
“For many years, our focus has been on opening a dialogue and creating a safe space for people to have that conversation. To talk about the impact stress creates in their professional and personal lives. We have always chosen themes for stress awareness month that are relevant, and reflective of societal challenges. For this year, we had to think very carefully about how we take this a step further.
Through our campaign #choosehope we have learned that having hope is imperative to find a way through and beyond our challenges, however, hope isn’t just a feeling, it inspires us to take action.”
Stress Management Society will be sharing resources and information throughout April to support individuals and organisations in taking action. You can download free resources on many things like how to create a 7-step achievement plan, how to de-stress and how to navigate loneliness here.
Handsam Example Stress Management Policy
Every school should have a stress management policy or stress management component to their staff wellbeing policy.
Our Example Stress Management Policy is extremely valuable in identifying and managing employees in the workplace who are experiencing work-related stress. This policy recognises that workplace stress is a health issue and acknowledges the importance of identifying and reducing workplace stressors.
Handsam Ltd provides a policy template and a policy writing service which are in addition to your subscription to the Quick Guides Library. Please contact us for details - via info@handsam.co.uk or 03332 070737.
HSE Statistics
According to HSE statistics, of the 1.8 million working people suffering from a work-related illness, 914,000 workers are suffering from work-related stress, depression or anxiety (2021/22). This amounted to 17 million working days lost.
This was an average of 18.6 days lost per case. However, working days lost per worker shows no clear trend.
The education sector had the third highest number of reported cases of work-related stress, depression or anxiety between 2019/20-2021/22.
Coronavirus
During the years leading up to the coronavirus pandemic, the rate of self-reported work-related stress, depression or anxiety had shown signs of increasing. However, the present rate is still higher than pre-coronavirus levels (2018/19).
In 2021/22, the effects of the coronavirus pandemic were found to be a major contributory factor to work-related stress, depression or anxiety.