The impact of lockdown on the nation’s mental health is rightfully receiving a great deal of TV and social media coverage at the moment.

Within our industry, the ‘mini boom’ we’ve experienced since last summer is creating its own unique stresses. Maybe it’s something we don’t realise can affect us, even without knowing it? Over the last year, we’ve all come to recognise that our own pressures due to the pandemic and lockdown have had an effect not only on ourselves, but also on those around us.

There are certain things we can all do to help alleviate the amount of stress we place upon ourselves, if only to ensure we remain active in our day-to-day work and personal lives.

Plan ahead

With the mountain of everyday tasks that inundate us all, the most important one of all is planning.

First, prioritise. What is your most pressing matter? Make a list (or lists) - there are plenty of apps available such as Microsoft To-Do or Onsite 7 if you already have mountains of paperwork and don’t want your task list lost amongst it. Excel spreadsheets also do a good job and can be viewed and edited on your computer, phone or tablet. Fitting schedules, deliveries, orders and administration to mention a few all need the correct planning to ensure things run smoothly.

So, what will be your first list? How about ‘Tasks to delegate which will cut down my workload’?

Key to reducing stress and increasing productivity is to not overwork. Easier said than done! But we must be mindful of the threshold at which working all hours under the sun without maintaining a healthy balance becomes highly unproductive and damaging to our health.

Where do we go from here?

It’s natural to want to make the most of the abundance of work we have focused on over the last year, but this can also lead to an enormous amount of strain. The last thing any of us need is to reach breaking point where all that hard work then means nothing.

Remember, we are on hand to help with your business needs and IBG requirements, but if you are struggling, feeling anxious, lifeless, or maybe just a bit lost and you don’t know where to turn, remember - you are not alone.

The most important thing we can do is know ourselves. We know how we are feeling and what our limitations are. Above all, we need to recognise the importance of talking to those around us. Communication with friends, family and colleagues is vital to our health and happiness.

Remember, we're always on hand to support you in these ever-changing circumstances as we work towards a brighter future.