What a quarter! Let’s talk burnout, implementing MHFAiders to going on retreat!
Wendy Garrett - Garrett Learning
We partner with leadership teams to offer fun and impactful learning and development experiences.
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Inside this month's issue:?
What’s been happening?
The first quarter of the year has flown by!? How has it been for you??
This weekend we saw International Women’s Day and what a way to spend the evening by having a pamper party at home. It was extremely relaxing and we nourished our skin with Amy Woodcock ’s homegrown and homemade products from Naturally Grown Health.?
Here’s a photo of us all including Tilly the Boarder Collie who was really intrigued by the plantain in the products!?
In this month's newsletter I wanted to share some practical tools to help prevent burnout and ways we can help support our own mental health and help others too.?
Let’s check in with ourselves and each other, are you ok??
Firstly, what is the phrase ‘burnout’??
The NHS, highlight that we can feel burnout when we experience severe stress:?
“Stress is the body's reaction to feeling threatened or under pressure. Too much stress can affect our mood, our body and our relationships – especially when it feels out of our control. It can make us feel anxious and irritable, and affect our self-esteem. Experiencing long-term stress or severe stress can lead to feeling physical, mental and emotional exhaustion, often called burnout".?
Here’s a snippet of my friend's life from the month of January 2025. Let's call her Janine. She has a new years resolution to get fit and healthy. A fitness plan has been created as well as a nutritional food plan which requires a lot of planning and preparation. Plus Janine is wanting to grow her business and has some extremely big plans (there is nothing wrong with this) and she also has two young children aged between 4 and 7. All was going to plan, however a close family member became ill and Janine added hospital visits into the daily routine whilst training to maintain ALL the new habits and look after her family and business. There is just too much going on and eventually the balls begin to drop. Some of this sound familiar????
Stress has a physical and mental impact on our bodies:?
??
Recognising the signs of stress/burnout in others and identifying this in ourselves is the first step in initiating some much needed TLC (tender loving care), self-compassion and applying new helpful strategies.?
I’m going to share some resources/tools. I appreciate we will all have different budgets within our organisation and/or community therefore, some are for free and some you will need to pay for.?
8. Use of apps - Headspace, Insight Timer, Calm, Buddhify to find a way to relax, cope or meditate.
9. Getting out in nature. Going for a walk, doing some gardening, cycling, a walk and talking with a friend.
10. Taking a break from it all. It could be an afternoon off work, visit the cinema/theatre, go on a retreat, taking a digital detox, booking a spa day, enjoy a weekend away to a new city or escape to the countryside, or really take a good long break by taking a couple of weeks, perhaps visit a destination you’ve wanted to see.?
11. Leave the work laptop and phone at home. We need to let our body recharge. We don’t let our mobile phones go to 5% without plugging it in, we need to charge our own body and mind with the stuff that makes us feel good.?
12. Meet friends and enjoy their company. Why don’t you also try something new together? I recently went fire walking with Cat Houghton and The Authentic Girls Club ! It was very different and I met some awesome people!
13. Download the app, Action for Happiness, their mission is to create a happier and kinder world together. They provide monthly calendars to promote happiness activities, you can join a local online group and engage with the various speakers who share their story and inspiration throughout the month.
Let me know your thoughts. Have you implemented any of these initiatives, what has been helpful, do you have your own success stories? We’d love to hear them. Please tag and share this with Garrett Learning and we can spread your message with others and make a bigger impact.?
What's coming up?
How to the HR team recruit Mental Health First Aiders in your organisation?
Do you ask them to apply for the role? In my opinion, MHFAidiers should be a voluntary role unless your industry requires them to have the training.
We recommend that you ask your employees to volunteer for the position of Mental Health First Aider rather than making it a mandatory course. Some people might not be able to help others due to their own mental health or current situation:
We’d suggest you interview them for the position to ensure they're the right candidate for the role. Some useful questions might be:
?? What initially interested you in this role?
?? Do you have any existing knowledge/experience working or volunteering in mental health? (This isn't necessary but it is interesting to know if they've studied anything relevant or have any relevant experience)
?? What would you like to achieve within this role?
?? How can you support us in improving staff mental health?
?? How will you ensure you have enough time to bring to this role?
?? How will you ensure you take care of yourself with this additional role?
Take a look at the Garrett Learning guide to implementing Mental Health First Aiders within your organisation: https://www.garrettlearning.co.uk/2024/08/19/download-your-guide-to-implement-mental-health-first-aiders-into-your-business/
Do you have team members who would like to train in MHFA England Programmes? MHFA England recommends training 1 in 10 members of the team. These are the upcoming open courses:
Adult Mental Health First Aid dates:?
Tuesday 1st & Wednesday 2nd April 09:30-16:30
Tuesday 22nd & Wednesday 23rd April 09:30-16:30
Tuesday 14th & Wednesday 15th May 09:30-16:30
Tuesday 3rd & Wednesday 4th June 09:30-16:30
Mental Health Skills for Managers:
Wednesday 16th April? 13:00-17:00
MHFA half day Aware:
MHFA One Day Champion:
Tuesday 15th April 09:30-16:30
MHFA Refresher:
Thursday 27th March 09:30-13:30
Thursday 3rd April 09:30-13:30
Wednesday 9th April 09:30-13:30
To book: Please visit: https://mhfaengland.org/public-profile/?id=53e0d92a-9711-e811-8127-e0071b664191
What's new?
We weren’t going to run any more Work and Wellbeing Retreats, then two weeks ago, we went to Studley Castle, our second retreat there and before I finished my cuppa, we knew we’d be doing it again!?
Take a rest from the desk!? ???????? ???????????? ???? ???????? ?????? ????????????????!
Self-employed? Employed and embarking on change? Stuck? Curious?
Being on that hamster wheel, juggling work, new ideas, projects and life in general, it’s important to find ways to break out of this cycle, re-energise yourself and reduce burnout!
Come and join us at The Work & Wellbeing Retreat hosted by Garrett Learning.
???????????? ???????? ???????? ???????? at Wharton Park for '?? ?????? ????????'. We'll think differently with Wendy's Wonderful Workshops, band some drums, enjoy a delicious afternoon tea and end our day with a pamper session! Early bird price until 31st March ￡165 (add discount code: ??????????????). April onwards ￡195 per person.
???????????? ???????? & ???????????? ???????? ???????????????? ???????? at Studley Castle for two days/one night at the ????????-???????? ???????????? ?????? ???????????????????????? ???????????? ??????????????. We'll enjoy all the spa facilities including a 30-minute massage, three-course dinner, own ensuite room, buffet breakfast and some great workshops to get us thinking and doing! Early bird price until 31st March ￡395 (add discount code: ??????????????). April onwards ￡425 per person.
?????????????????? ???????? ???? ???????????? ???????? ???????????????? ???????? at Studley Castle for three days/two nights at the ???????????????? ???????? ?????? ?????????????????? ??????????????, you'll get the workshops, breakfasts, dinners, 60-minute massage, your own room, the ultimate time to rest, reflect and reset!? Early bird price until 31st March ￡625 (add discount code: ??????????). April onwards ￡675 per person.
Secure your place with a ￡100 non-refundable deposit. Monthly payment plans available. Please visit www.garrettlearning.co.uk/work-retreat for more details. Feel free to email [email protected] or 07859 878 599 with any questions.
We look forward to welcoming you!
Want some help?
Garrett Learning creates welcoming, memorable, and learner-focused learning experiences to reach individual and business goals.? Book a discovery call with us to see how Garrett Learning ( www.garrettlearning.co.uk ) can help:
Book a chat with Wendy here: https://scheduler.zoom.us/garrettlearning/1-1-cuppa-and-chat?
We (Wendy and her growing team!) are here for you when you need us. We are here to hear you! We are kind in nature and open to hearing everyone's point of view. Our training and overall learning experiences are built to ensure you feel comfortable and can be yourself.?
If you want to discuss your future plans, I’d love to hear them! Get in touch!
m: 07859 878 599