Work Life Balance | Emma Langton https://emmalangton.com Executive Leadership Coaching Fri, 16 May 2025 15:13:40 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://emmalangton.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Emma-Langton-LogoFavIcon.svg Work Life Balance | Emma Langton https://emmalangton.com 32 32 Coaching for Leaders Who Look Like They’re Coping https://emmalangton.com/coaching-for-leaders-who-look-like-theyre-coping/ Fri, 16 May 2025 14:51:55 +0000 https://emmalangton.com/?p=6507
Leaders who look like they’re coping

Are you on of those leaders who looks like they’re coping?

You appear calm. Composed. Capable.
On paper, you’re successful. In meetings, you’re professional.
Your team sees you as the one who has it all together.

But inside? You’re exhausted. Overthinking. Spinning plates while feeling like they could all crash at any moment. This blog is for you. And so is my coaching.

Because I work with leaders and business owners who look like they’re coping… but know they’re not.

Why Leaders Who Look Like They’re Coping is Common

It’s incredibly common.
People in senior roles often carry the weight of expectations – of being seen as strong, organised, emotionally steady.

Society seems to expect leaders to cope with all the pressure. And in the fast paced world we live in these days, with technology making sure we’re always switched on, always contactable .. leaders become adept at giving the impression they’re coping and feel they need to glide through all the tasks and situations; having a handle on everything.

Leaders often tell me ‘I don’t want appear weak’ by admitting they’re not coping.

But the truth? Many are paddling furiously underneath.

That’s what I call The Swan Effect – graceful above the surface, frantic underneath.
And it’s where my coaching for leaders who look like they’re coping really begins.

The Hidden Signs You Might Not Be Coping (Even If It Looks Like You Are)

You might recognise yourself here:

  • Constant low-level anxiety, even when nothing is “wrong”
  • Feeling mentally overloaded and physically drained
  • Struggling to sleep or switch off at the end of the day
  • Snapping at home while keeping it together at work
  • Living in your head, questioning if you’re doing enough – or too much
  • Craving rest, but feeling guilty when you take it

You’re not alone. And you’re not broken.

There are so many Leaders Who Look Like They’re Coping who work with me.

You’re simply stretched too thin, for too long.


How Coaching Can Help You Feel in Control Again

Working with me is not about becoming “better” at juggling.

It’s about deciding what’s worth holding, and letting go of what’s not.
Through personalised sessions, I help you:

  • Reclaim time, space, and headroom
  • Build sustainable resilience (not just grit)
  • Make confident decisions without second-guessing yourself
  • Drop the pressure to perform and be seen as perfect
  • Create real balance in work and life

You’ll learn how to cope differently … not by pushing through, but by building inner calm, clarity, and control.


Real-Life Coaching for Real-World Leaders

I don’t offer fluffy solutions.
I work with busy professionals, executives, and business owners who live in the real world of deadlines, teams, and life admin.

I also live it. As a coach and carer to two adopted children with trauma and special needs, I understand what it’s like to manage intense personal responsibility and public expectations at the same time.

For example, we look at what’s important.  It might be that you really need that sleep, instead of staying up late and being the leader who looks like you’re coping and trying to get everything done. It might be that we prioritise for you to get your sleep. Is it that simple? Maybe.

We all find it hard to function when we are tired. Never sacrifice your sleep, always prioritise it. Maybe it’s something else you really need, you personally. Through coaching, we help identify these things and also where the positive impact will be so that you DO cope, and more than that.

This is coaching for leaders who look like they’re coping, but want to feel like they’re thriving.


Let’s Stop the Pretending. Let’s Get You Real Support.

You don’t have to keep paddling beneath the surface in silence.

My coaching helps you shift from:

  • Overwhelmed → Empowered
  • Burnt out → Balanced
  • Performing → Feeling genuinely in control

If this speaks to you, let’s start a conversation.
Because you deserve support that fits your reality—not just your role.

👉 Book a free clarity call
👉 Explore 1:1 coaching options

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Is Your Emotional Bucket Overflowing? How Can Coaching and Hypnotherapy Help? https://emmalangton.com/emotional-bucket-coaching-and-hypnotherapy-help/ Thu, 10 Apr 2025 14:47:11 +0000 https://emmalangton.com/?p=6489

You might have heard the term emotional bucket floating around (excuse the pun), but what does it actually mean? And more importantly, how do you know if yours is overflowing?

Let’s break it down, because understanding your emotional bucket is more crucial than ever in 2025.

What is an Emotional Bucket?

Your emotional bucket is a simple but powerful way of visualising how we store feelings — especially the tricky, tough, or heavy ones.

We’re talking about everyday stress, anxiety, self-doubt, feelings of not being good enough, and even the more hidden emotions like shame or embarrassment. Add to that the pressure of rising living costs, job insecurity, digital overwhelm from 24/7 connectivity, and social comparison from endless social media scrolling… well, it’s no surprise that many people’s buckets are dangerously close to overflowing.

When these feelings build up (whether slowly over time or quickly after a tough week), they sit quietly in our emotional bucket. The problem? If we don’t learn how to release or manage them, the bucket eventually spills over. That’s when we start to feel like we’re at breaking point.

How Can You Tell If Your Emotional Bucket is Overflowing?

There are some pretty clear signs, if you know what to look for. You might notice:

  • Feeling constantly overwhelmed or on edge
  • Bursting into tears or snapping in frustration over small things
  • Struggling to concentrate or make decisions
  • Feeling anxious, irritable, or trapped in negative thinking loops
  • Difficulty sleeping, or waking up already feeling exhausted
  • An ongoing sense of “I just can’t cope anymore”

Sound familiar?

As a coach and hypnotherapist, I work with people every day who feel like this. The good news is, we can do something about it.

If you’re looking for help to manage the overflow of emotions then coaching and hypnotherapy can be really helpful to give tools to empty your bucket or rebalance your emotions. Get in touch here to book a call to discuss more.

What About an Empty Bucket?

Interestingly, a completely empty emotional bucket isn’t healthy either. If your bucket feels empty, you might experience:

  • Emotional numbness
  • Feeling fed up, bored, or detached from life
  • Constant tiredness, even when you’re resting
  • Low mood or signs of depression
  • Struggling to find motivation or enjoyment in things you once loved

We’re aiming for balance — not an overflowing bucket, and not an empty one either.

How Coaching and Hypnotherapy Can Help Rebalance?

In 2025, many of us are juggling more demands than ever, and while self-help tools are brilliant, sometimes you need deeper support. That’s where coaching and hypnotherapy come in.

As a coach, I help you identify what’s filling your bucket in the first place. We work together to build resilience, set healthier boundaries, and create coping strategies tailored to your life. It’s not about adding more to your to-do list — it’s about clearing space for what truly matters.

Hypnotherapy goes a layer deeper. It helps you access your subconscious mind, where many of these emotional triggers and patterns live. Through hypnotherapy, we can gently release the emotional build-up, reduce anxiety, and develop a more positive, calm mindset. Many clients describe it as finally turning off the relentless mental noise.

Together, coaching and hypnotherapy create a powerful toolkit for maintaining emotional balance.

Everyday Tools to Lighten Your Emotional Load

Alongside professional support, there are plenty of small, daily actions that can help ease the strain and either empty your overflowing bucket or fill an empty one.

Here are some tried-and-tested favourites from my coaching clients (and from my own experience too!):

  • Spend quality time with people who uplift you
  • Limit doom-scrolling on social media (a big one for 2025!)
  • Get outside — nature has an incredible way of grounding us
  • Move your body in any way you enjoy — dancing, walking, yoga
  • Nourish your body with healthy, satisfying food
  • Try mindfulness or breathing exercises to calm your nervous system
  • Get creative: painting, baking, gardening, or even doodling
  • Take a tech break — let your brain recharge
  • Listen to music that boosts your mood
  • Explore alternative therapies like massage, reflexology, or aromatherapy
  • Visualisation exercises — imagine your emotional weight floating away in a balloon or drifting out to sea (yes, this really works!)

Most importantly: give yourself permission to pause.

Start Balancing Your Bucket Today

This term isn’t just a nice metaphor — it’s a real way to understand your mental and emotional health. If yours feels unmanageable right now, please know that you’re not alone.

Through coaching and hypnotherapy, we can work together to create space, release what’s weighing you down, and build the emotional resilience you need to thrive in 2025 and beyond.

If this resonates with you, please do go to my contact page and drop me an email or book a call to discuss how coaching and hypnotherapy can benefit you to keep your emotions balanced so that you have fantastic yet simple ways to control your emotions.

Emma Langton has over 13 years experience in supporting leaders to enhance engagement, performance and wellbeing. Her coaching, training and speaking is valued by individuals and organisations across the UK for getting results quickly with her straight talking Yorkshire style.

Often referred to by her clients as the boundary queen and the resilience goddess, she shares her passion for progress with practical tips and advice so that her clients improve leadership skills, reduce stress and pressure and elevate wellbeing. She regularly provides insights for BBC, Forbes, Metro and also has a podcast called Lessons for Leaders with 100 episodes.

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One Simple Way to Improve Retention Now (Before it Costs You!) https://emmalangton.com/improving-retention/ Mon, 03 Feb 2025 15:31:00 +0000 https://emmalangton.com/?p=6484

I’ve just finished working with an organisation that is celebrating improving retention.

They had three senior leaders who were missing strategic goals, repeatedly slipping deadlines and there was high absence and poor retention (this isn’t what they are celebrating… obviously).

The HR Director and CEO had a conversation with me and said they weren’t sure if it was a performance or capability issue.

For many leaders and managers, it can be challenging to distinguish between capability issues and performance-related concerns.

In order to explore further and support the struggles the leaders were having, we booked some executive coaching sessions.

Having an external executive coach means there is an independent person who will provide an objective, structured approach. It can help in determining whether a leader is struggling due to performance issues (such as motivation, mindset, stress) or a capability gap (lack of skills, experience or training).

Through our confidential coaching conversations, these three leaders were able to get clarity on their challenges, uncover blind spots and explore tailored strategies to address them.

With one leader, there was frustration at processes, causing a lack of boundaries, no clear expectations and poor time management.

Another leader had lost all confidence in himself due to the excessive workload, poor teamwork and feeling overwhelmed and this was also showing up with a need to work on improving retention.

The third leader needed help on communication and target setting, so he could develop strategies for himself and the team. This meant they were more included, had clear direction and didn’t miss deadlines.

Although each leader had ‘executive coaching’ sessions, the focus was tailored to their needs to ensure that support and development was targeted, fair and commercially impactful rather than reactive.

After coaching? Those leaders had good reasons to celebrate:

  • They changed their approach to leadership.
  • The teams felt empowered, included and valued because there was more responsibility, better delegation and clear direction setting.

They saw improving retention by 25% in the three months we worked together and also had people return from sick leave.

This simple way of improving retention meant they avoided the high cost of replacing key employees and saw a direct impact on productivity.

➡ My calendar is open for bookings – book a call to explore how leadership coaching can boost retention and performance.

Book a Call Here


The Cost of Losing Great People

For many organisations I work with, February is the time that businesses start to feel the impact of those January resignations. The teams are stretched and there are gaps in skill sets which creates a growing need to recruit (often without the budget to do so).

But what if you could stop the cycle and see results on improving retention?

Hiring is expensive! I know I don’t need to tell you that.

Estimates suggest replacing an employee costs six to nine months of their salary in lost productivity and recruitment fees. And that doesn’t include the impact on morale, engagement and your remaining teams’ workloads.

improving retention plans these days are needing to focus on more than just perks or pay rises. People want development. Investing in leadership coaching doesn’t just benefit the individual leaders, it drives commercial success too.

By setting boundaries like a pro and getting clear buy-in from team members, those departments implement actions and projects quickly so that operational targets are met on time and delivered well across all levels of your organisation.

➡ Let’s talk now about the specifics of what’s needed to help you with improving retention before hiring costs spiral – book a free call to discuss how leadership coaching can strengthen your talent pipeline.


Top Tip

Companies with strong learning and development cultures experience 30-50% higher retention rates than those without (according to LinkedIn’s Workplace Learning Report).

When you are proactively building leadership skills, you’re also improving retention and creating stronger talent pools for both leaders and teams. It also makes sure you’re reducing knowledge gaps and improving succession planning.


And Finally…

When senior leaders are stretched thin, it creates a domino effect of less delegation, more reactive decision-making and disengaged teams.

Executive coaching helps leaders:

  • Prioritise strategically, reducing burnout and increasing productivity.
  • Develop and engage their teams, preventing costly turnover.
  • Build a stronger talent pipeline, reducing last-minute recruitment needs.

You know, and I know, that great leaders don’t just manage work; they influence culture, strategy, and engagement. All of which works to be improving retention.

Do your senior leaders know how to influence this?

➡ If improving retention of your best people is a priority this quarter, let’s chat.

We can explore how coaching can make a difference across your entire organisation and be happening before the leaders are on their summer holiday!

Talk soon – and let’s give you a reason to celebrate!


Emma Langton has over 13 years experience in supporting leaders to enhance engagement, performance and wellbeing. Her coaching, training and speaking is valued by organisations across the UK for getting results quickly with her straight talking Yorkshire style.

Often referred to by her clients as the boundary queen and the resilience goddess, she shares her passion for progress with practical tips and advice so that her clients improve leadership skills, reduce stress and pressure and elevate wellbeing. She regularly provides insights for BBC, Forbes, Metro and also has a podcast called Lessons for Leaders with 100 episodes.

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Lessons for Leaders 86: Mood-Boosting Tips for January https://emmalangton.com/lessons-for-leaders-86-mood-boosting-tips-for-january-2/ Fri, 25 Nov 2022 12:28:25 +0000 https://emmalangton.com/?p=6046 Mood-Boosting Tips for January

It might feel like a time to hibernate and stay inside with the damp cold weather, the long January with credit card bills coming from Christmas spends, but I’m here to share my Mood-Boosting Tips for January: easy and simple ways that you can boost your mood.

Mood Boosting Tips for January

It might feel like a time to hibernate and stay inside with the damp cold weather, the long January with credit card bills coming from Christmas spends, but I’m here to share some easy and simple ways you can boost your mood.

Mood-Boosting Tips for January

Listen in where I share four key areas that you can focus on that boost different ‘feel-good’ chemicals of

Endorphins – the feel good chemical

Dopamine – the reward chemical

Oxytocin – the connection boost

Seratonin – the mood stabiliser

If it feels overwhelming, don’t worry, listen right to the end.  I share if you do just one thing – I share one activity that will hit 3 if not 4 of the feel good chemicals I’ve mentioned.

Any questions on this, drop me an email at emma@emmalangton.com

For further information on 1:1, group coaching or training get in touch.

Join my corporate leadership and wellbeing newsletter HERE

If you want to be increasing your performance so that you’re more resilient, less stressed in these current times, so that you can focus easily, use tools and techniques to deal with all the current and unknown challenges then make sure that you send me an email or use the online diary and arrange a time for a chat.

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Lessons for Leaders 84: Top 5 Episodes of 2021 https://emmalangton.com/lessons-for-leaders-84-top-5-episodes-of-2021/ Fri, 25 Nov 2022 12:14:52 +0000 https://emmalangton.com/?p=6039 Top 5 Episodes of 2021

I’m sharing a recap of the top 5 episodes for 2021.  These are the podcast episodes that have had the highest listens throughout the year and I though it useful to recap them for you.  People are often asking me which I should listen to first, so this will be a helpful way to dive in to the most popular ones and get you started, or enable you to recap any that you missed.

Even if you heard them before, it’s often useful to get a reminder of key messages …. It’s so easy to forget these things. 

The most listened to are:

LFL18   Boundaries for Leaders

Good leadership boundaries enhance workforce behaviour, stops workforce behaviour from being pulled down taking away from its values, mission, purpose, and results.

Listen to why boundaries are my favourite subject and why I think they are so essential in business, organisation and life.

Boundaries for Leaders

Great boundaries set the culture and expectation of an organisation so that they set the standard of performance within a workplace.  This is then easily disseminated down the workforce so that they too have good boundaries in their own work ethics and both personal and professional values.

LFL21   Preventing Leadership Fatigue and Burn Out

Although this was published back in June, it’s still relevant now and I expect it will be right through 2022.  I’ve been hearing of lots of people experiencing burn out, extreme fatigue and people struggling.  So this is going to be so helpful.

Burnout characterised by “emotional exhaustion” and usually attributed to the professional role you have, therefore, maintaining work life balance is vital to prevent burnout.

The difficulty though is that often fatigue and burn out happen because leader DO love their jobs, or feel a sense of responsibility or struggle to delegate – in fact there can be a host of differing factors.  Because everyone is different. 

Preventing Leadership Fatigue and Burn Out

Leaders often thrive with a challenge, however when the challenge is a prolonged one, such as this period of the Covid-19 crisis, leaders need to ensure that they are able to sustain the test of time. Prioritising mental wellbeing is just as essential for leaders in a time of crisis as it is for your employees.

LFL15 Resilient Leadership: My Six Pillars of Resilience

This episode gives you an insight into my resilience workshops and training.  In January one organisation has booked me to deliver 8 resilience workshops for their organisation that incorporates 5 x one hour sessions for all staff and 3 x 2 hour sessions for managers.  If you want an insight, go over to this episode and here me talking about 

  • what resilience is
  • how resilience impacts you in leadership and your employees
  • what are my six pillars of resilience

Leaders are expected to be able to run and lead in their business and to be able to do it well.  Accenture concluded that 

“Resilience may be the new criterion for professional advancement”

LFL15 Resilient Leadership: My Six Pillars of Resilience

00  I’m talking about  what resilience is how resilience impacts you in leadership and your employees what are my six pillars of resilience Leaders are expected to be able to run and lead in their business and to be able to do it well.  Accenture concluded that  “Resilience may be the new criterion for professional advancement” With business and economic challenge the way a leader handles pressure is likely to have a huge impact on performance and success of an organisation.  So resilience is critical to survive the challenges ahead, during and after lockdown.

LFL38 7 Steps to a Winning Wellbeing Plan

This is a process I go through with organisations when we’re looking at creating their wellbeing plans.  January is a great time to put this in place … but it can happen at any time of the year.   If you’re not on my newsletter, then get signed up because the January edition will be giving away more info about these 7 steps too.

To listen to the episode, you’ll hear I’m talking about the 7 steps that you can take to create winning wellbeing plans in your organisation and sharing exactly what would be good things so that there are not just knee jerk reactions and plugging gaps.

7 Steps to a Winning Wellbeing Plan

7 Steps to a Winning Wellbeing Plan This week I’m talking about the 7 steps that you can take to create winning wellbeing plans in your organisation and sharing exactly what would be good things so that there are not just knee jerk reactions and plugging gaps.

LFL13 Managing Stress During the Lockdown

This episode is not just relevant for back when we were in lockdown.  It shares what common stress responses look like, so that you can spot the signs.  I share what we need to do with the stress that ensures we don’t stay with that stress response for too long.  We must give ourselves time to accept, react and adjust. Then we create a new normal.

LFL13 Managing Stress During the Lockdown

The irony that we are in lockdown during April is not lost on me. April is Stress Awareness Month   The Mental Health Foundation discovered that in 2019, 74% of adults felt so stressed that they were overwhelmed and unable to cope (and that was before the current challenges that we’re facing!)

Please do make sure you hit ‘subscribe’ so that don’t miss an episode.  

If you haven’t yet  left a review, please do go and find the little button to leave a review and let me know your thoughts, key take-aways and what you value from the podcast.

Join my corporate leadership and wellbeing newsletter HERE

If you want to be increasing your performance so that you’re more resilient in these current times, so that you can focus easily, use tools and techniques to deal with all the current and unknown challenges then make sure that you either drop me an email to emma@emmalangton.com

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Lessons for Leaders 82: Why You Should Put You First https://emmalangton.com/lessons-for-leaders-82-why-you-should-put-you-first/ Wed, 09 Nov 2022 12:39:12 +0000 https://emmalangton.com/?p=6028 Why You Should Put You First

with Louise Westra & Emma Langton

This week I’m joined by Louise Westra and we talk about why you need to ensure you put you first.

Why You Should Put You First

This week I’m joined by Louise Westra and we talk about Why you need to ensure you put you first. How to look out for compassion fatigue and what you can do about it.

Why You Should Put You First

How to look out for compassion fatigue and what you can do about it.

Why work-life balance is still important but needs to be appropriate for each individual

The reasons Louise wrote her book You First.

Get Louise’s Book HERE 

Connect with Louise on Linkedin

Connect with Louise at her Website

Please do make sure you hit ‘subscribe’ so that don’t miss an episode.  

If you haven’t yet  left a review, please do go and find the little button to leave a review and let me know your thoughts, key take-aways and what you value from the podcast.

Join my corporate leadership and wellbeing newsletter HERE

 If you want to be increasing your performance so you’re more resilient in these current times, can focus easily, and use tools and techniques to deal with all the current and unknown challenges then make sure to drop an email to me at emma@emmalangton.com.

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Lessons for Leaders 81: 5 Quick Ways to Improve Burnout https://emmalangton.com/lessons-for-leaders-81-5-quick-ways-to-improve-burnout/ Wed, 09 Nov 2022 12:27:48 +0000 https://emmalangton.com/?p=6024 5 Quick Ways to Improve Burnout

You’re not alone right now if you feel frazzled and burned out. 

I’m hearing from a LOT of people that they’re struggling right now.  Some are even contemplating leaving their jobs because of pressure and burn-out. 

Burnout characterised by “mental, emotional and physical exhaustion” therefore, maintaining work life balance is vital to prevent burnout.

In this podcast, I talk through my 5 quick ways to improve burnout: 

  1. Why we need to pay attention AND what to
  2. How to look at what will restore your energy
  3. Why boundaries are your friend
  4. Why it’s still important to make time for support and socialising
  5. How you might need to rethink delegation

5 Quick Ways to Improve Burnout

You’re not alone right now if you feel frazzled and burned out.  I’m hearing from a LOT of people that they’re struggling right now.  Some are even contemplating leaving their jobs because of pressure and burn-out.  Burnout characterised by “mental, emotional and physical exhaustion” therefore, maintaining work life balance is vital to prevent burnout.

5 Quick Ways to Improve Burnout

Choosing just one of these 5 quick ways to improve burnout will be beneficial for you.  I’d love to hear from you to know which one you chose.

I’ve been working with a number of organisations to successfully deliver virtual trainings on stress management, work life balance, boundaries and resilience – so contact me to discuss the needs of your organisation now or book direct into my diary for a complementary discussion for coaching and 1;1 support too.

Please do make sure you hit ‘subscribe’ so that don’t miss an episode.  

If you haven’t yet  left a review, please do go and find the little button to leave a review and let me know your thoughts, key take-aways and what you value from the podcast.

Join my corporate leadership and wellbeing newsletter HERE

If you want to be increasing your performance so you’re more resilient in these current times, can focus easily, and use tools and techniques to deal with all the current and unknown challenges then make sure to drop an email to me at emma@emmalangton.com.

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Lessons for Leaders 58: Boosting Morale Without Costing a Fortune! https://emmalangton.com/lessons-for-leaders-58-boosting-morale-without-costing-a-fortune/ Fri, 11 Jun 2021 13:58:00 +0000 https://emmalangton.com/?p=6177 Boosting Morale Without Costing a Fortune!

When morale is low, it’s really hard to get people involved and motivated and can feel like pushing boulders uphill. So how do you go about boosting morale in your team without it costing a fortune?

Listen into the episode where I share about:

  • Spotting the signs and circumstances
  • What you can do about low morale
  • An example of a client I worked with
  • Why you need to find out what’s really going on, rather than guessing
  • Several ways you can boost morale in your teams without it costing a fortune

Boosting Morale without Costing a Fortune

When morale is low it’s really difficult to get people involved and motivated and can feel like pushing boulders up hill. So how do you boost morale in your team without is costing a fortune?

Boosting Morale Without Costing a Fortune!

Differing schedules could hamper projects and delay work because colleagues may struggle to meet and communicate plans.

Listen to the varied list of things you might be able to spot or identify in your team or workplace so you can begin to look at the levels of morale.

“When we listen (and really listen) to what’s going on in the workplace, we can then get to the root of the problems rather than just guessing.”

“You (or whoever is doing this) needs to listen and be like a detective. They’re looking for clues and info that will lead them to the solution.”

Let people know that you hear them is the next stage to boosting morale.  All this takes is time and feedback.  I share on the podcast words and phrases you can use that help with this.

Then encourage engagement so that you raise productivity levels.

Listen in for a little exercise you can do that demonstrates how our mood can lift us or drag us down.  

“Mood is contagious and it can have a ripple effect if people are fed up and miserable.”

Celebrate Achievements!

This doesn’t have to be a big award ceremony!  Small, regular things like peoples’ birthdays, successes, and individual efforts go a long way to boosting morale.

I talk too about how corridor coaching and building trust by small, powerful conversations help boost morale as well as enhancing performance and deepening knowledge.

Many organisations I work with already have a great wellbeing plan, but bringing in someone like me to deliver training that is needed, supported, informative and helpful is a great way to help them to help themselves. That way you show you care, they see that you care and, as long as you’re walking your talk, there’s a universal message coming across.

There’s no point saying ‘organise this and that’, and then sending emails at ridiculous times of night or expecting people to be in on their day off; or

There’s no point working all through your holiday and telling them to take time off when you’ve given them massive targets and things to achieve.

That’s where training for healthy boundaries or resilience is important right now… To help them cope with hybrid working and getting back to whatever the state of play is for now.

Please do make sure you hit ‘subscribe’ so that don’t miss an episode.

If you haven’t yet left a review, please do go and find the little button to leave a review and let me know your thoughts, key take-aways and what you value from the podcast.

Join my corporate leadership and wellbeing newsletter HERE

If you want to be increasing your performance so you’re more resilient in these current times, so you can focus easily, and use tools and techniques to deal with all the current and unknown challenges, then make sure that you either drop an email to me at emma@emmalangton.com. Or head over to my contact page and either send me a email from there or book an appointment straight into my diary – saving all the to-ing and fro-ing you get when we try to get space in people’s diary.

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Lessons for Leaders 55: Keeping the Focus on Mental Health https://emmalangton.com/lessons-for-leaders-55-keeping-the-focus-on-mental-health/ Wed, 26 May 2021 13:25:00 +0000 https://emmalangton.com/?p=6164 Keeping the Focus on Mental Health

After mental health awareness week last week, I’m talking today about keeping the focus on mental health going throughout the entire year.

Keeping the Focus on Mental Health

After mental health awareness week last week, I’m talking today about how to keep the focus on mental health going throughout the entire year.   Now, if you’re wondering (or even groaning) at the thought of having this on your to-do list all year round, it doesn’t have to be like that.

Keeping the Focus on Mental Health

Now, if you’re wondering (or even groaning) at the thought of having this on your to-do list all year round, it doesn’t have to be like that.

  • Get employees to know you’re taking MH seriously
  • Easy ways to make that happen
  • Key ways to ensure you’re walking the talk
  • A terrible example of support – so you don’t make that mistake
  • What your plan should include

We do have to recognise that mental health needs a continued focus because it is the leading cause of sickness absence in the workplace.

Therefore, with the pandemic highlighting the issue and workplaces opening up more, it’s not surprising that employers are starting to look more closely at the crucial role they play in supporting the wellbeing of their staff.

We know employers come in all shapes and sizes, with different working practices and environments; but all organisations, whatever their size, will be:

  • equipped with the awareness and tools to both address and prevent mental ill-health which is caused or worsened by work
  • equipped to support people with a mental health condition to thrive, from recruitment and throughout the organisation
  • aware of how to get access to timely help to reduce sickness absence caused by mental ill health

I talk to companies who I can often split into two groups:

  1. Have wellbeing plans in place but then struggle to find dedicated targeted support for specific areas like stress, burnout, sleep and finances
  2. Have bits and pieces of ideas and activities but no clear plan pulling things together

Now, before we go on, I want to congratulate everyone who has things in place, because there are still a ton of companies who haven’t even started.

In addition, HR and leaders are often doing these plans in addition to their usual role and, although it’s great to see some companies having specific wellbeing leads and separate roles, not everyone has the ability.

If you want to talk to me about ideas, plugging the gaps, meeting the specific needs of your company, enhancing daily, weekly, monthly behaviours and embedding them into organisational value so you’re getting a strategy, policies or plans sorted, then please do get in touch.  Looking at overarching strategies has been something I’ve done for a long time, since back in my corporate days, so I’m happy to help.

How do we get employees to know that the focus on mental health is serious?

Start with focus groups (I can run these for you) or surveys.  Find out how people are, what they need.  Designing your plan with input from employees boosts buy-in and gives you a clearer idea of the support they might need.  Building your plan with input from employees from across the organisation builds their commitment to supporting their own mental health and that of their colleagues. Trust and integrity are key drivers of engagement.

Train your managers with how to confidently have conversations with your people so that 1:1’s actually do take place regularly and, when they do, they are effective, not just paying lip service.  If you’re back in the office, these can be on the move, out of the office / workplace environment and often get to the crux of the matter more quickly too. 

Walk the talk.  Encouraging staff to work sensible hours, take full lunch breaks, rest and recuperate after busy periods, avoid working at weekends and take their full annual leave entitlement can all help avoid burnout.  AND make sure you do that yourself.  There’s a ton of benefits of demonstrating this but also in delegating, and trust your teams when you’re not there (which is in my plan for future podcast episodes).

What’s available?  When your people highlight a struggle what do you do?  You might have had my training on confident conversation and spotting issues, but then what?  Your mental health at work plan should detail what support is available to employees if they are experiencing poor mental health, whether it’s due to problems inside or outside of work.

Listen in for my story of a terrible experience with an EAP.

I talked previously about the 7 steps to winning wellbeing plan in order to create a positive culture where people feel able to talk about their mental health. Make sure your plan is formally written down and will show your current and future employees that you care about their wellbeing.

For expert guidance and support for employers who want to support their staff’s mental health, please contact me.

Often, employees are scared to talk to their manager and problems can spiral. Your action plan should aim to raise awareness of mental health by:

  • embedding mental health in induction and training
  • celebrating key dates in the mental health calendar
  • running internal communication campaigns

Senior leaders should promote employee wellbeing by:

  • speaking out about mental health
  • supporting a campaign to encourage all staff to take lunch breaks and work healthy hours

When staff feel involved and well-informed about what’s happening in the organisation, it increases motivation and helps people understand how their role fits into the bigger picture. Your action plan should set out how you will involve staff by using methods such as:

  • staff surveys and focus groups
  • staff forums and diversity networks
  • engagement steering groups
  • monthly or quarterly performance review meetings

Your mental health plan should outline ways in which you provide staff with learning and development opportunities including:

  • coaching
  • training
  • hold ‘lunch and learn’ sessions’ – these are a great way to support staff to take their full lunch break away from their desk

Organisations need to send a clear signal to staff that their mental health matters.

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If you want to be increasing your performance so you’re more resilient in these current times, can focus easily, and use tools and techniques to deal with all the current and unknown challenges then make sure that you either drop me an email to emma@emmalangton.com or use the online diary to arrange a time for a chat.

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