Talking wellbeing with Gareth Watt

The secret to wellbeing is kindness.

This month we’re sharing wellbeing stories of people from across the business. We hope these will help to inspire you and give you a few ideas to help you prioritise your own wellbeing, as well as support others. 

We caught up with Gareth Watt, Post room and Reception team leader, to hear his take on wellbeing and why it’s so important right now.

Wellbeing is so important to me because it’s my gauge on how I’m feeling and how well I’m coping with daily life. My wellbeing can change from moment to moment, day to day, or month to month. Sometimes it changes because of things that happen to me and sometimes it changes for no reason at all. It can affect the way I feel about myself and others, and about the things I face in my life.

I’ve learnt that good wellbeing doesn’t mean I’ll always be happy. I’ve recognised it’s normal to feel sad, angry, or low sometimes. The important thing is to recognise these changes you feel so you can turn negatives into positives.

For me it’s really important to allow myself to feel and express a range of emotions as they occur.  Trying not to show sadness or anxiety, if that’s how you feel, isn’t good for your mental wellbeing. I also find it’s important to have a ‘go to’ person that really gets you and will allow you to simply talk through how you’re feeling at that moment.  Having that person in my life has allowed me to cope with stresses and adapt when things change – as they are doing constantly at the moment.

I also try to have confidence and positive self-esteem, maintain good relationships with others; enjoy the world around me and try to maintain a calm perspective on this current crazy world.

The last 12 months have taught me that what helps me now may not be the same thing that helps me in the future, or that has helped me in the past. In the last year, if I haven’t been able to do my usual ‘feel good’ things, I’ve tried to do what has felt right for me at the time. So, if I didn’t go for the run I’d been promising myself, or didn’t run at the pace I’d set, I tried to be grateful that I could get out and run, that I could appreciate the fresh air and that feeling of freedom.

Exercise has helped me to see the small things in life. I live in beautiful surroundings, with an amazing family, I have a job where I’m well respected (I hope), so if I don’t get those extra things in, I still have so much to be grateful for. Those things become my positivity.

As a people manager I’ve always had an ‘open door’ policy so my team know they can contact me at any time and in whatever way suits them. If they are on furlough I always check in with them at least once a week, but invariable we’re texting each other, keeping the contact going.  I’ve also tried to treat every member of staff as an individual, as I know that ‘one size fits all’ doesn’t usually work. I actively listen to their concerns and worries and together we decide on the best plan of action for that particular person.  It’s not always about fixing the issue, sometimes, it’s just working out the support they need.

Gareth’s dog, Bruno, who Gareth enjoys walking with in the forest to de-stress.

Outside of work I’ve tried to concentrate on my family and those around me. My family are different generations and have different needs. Sometimes I don’t always understand why they might be feeling low or anxious but the best way I can help is by simply asking them how they feel, how it is for them, and what they miss.  We need to be empathetic to everyone, even if we don’t really fully understand why they feel the way they do.  They say that a ‘problem shared is a problem halved’, and just giving someone time to share, can really help lift their mood and half the load.

If I had one top tip for positive wellbeing it would be … to be kind to yourself. That means eating healthily and regularly, getting enough sleep, keeping active, connecting with others in whatever way you can, doing things you enjoy and asking for help if you need it. It’s so important to remember that by sharing fears and concerns we can connect better – generally there is always someone else going through something very similar.

My recommendations:

• A video was posted by Dr Andy Knox who is a GP from Carnforth and the Director of Population Health for the Morecambe Bay Health and Care System. In the video he shares 7 simple steps to help take care of your mental health during lockdown. 
• Samaritans support line is available anytime, day and night 116 123 (to talk about anything that you are going through)
• There are also loads of useful resources via Mind and you can also call them on 0300 123 3393
• If you’re struggling with the grieving process, you can call the Cruse National Helpline on 0808 808 1677.
• Calm – a really good app for anxiety, sleep and mindfulness.
• There is also lots of useful information and advice on the NHS pages here 

Remember, if you’d like to speak to someone about any worries you have visit The Insider for all support available to you, including access to our Employee Support Programme – a confidential, 24/7 support service.

Want more wellbeing stories? Read more from  Samantha Bell and Jade Williams.