"LiveWell - Working Win. My access to this service."

At a time when I was having to take some time out due to being overwhelmed and overcome at work it was suggested to me that I refer myself into the Working Win project (hosted by South Yorkshire Housing Association).  At a time when I knew that mental health services were at their limits due to the levels of demand, I grabbed at the opportunity to speak to someone.

I gained a Return to Work Coach and a Health and Wellbeing Coach along with access to Westfield Health and TogetherAll (an online chat portal for support).  I can honestly say that I have had the best, most wrap around care, most bespoke support and have been made to feel so valued and 'heard' than I have ever with any other service. 

My Return to Work Coach understood my role and level I had reached in my organisation and understood the pressures and anxieties that I was experiencing.  He coached me through organising my thoughts about my role, what it was that had got me to this point and therefore what was going to get me back to work but in a better more sustainable way.  We created a plan of action which I used to help prompt me in my first return to work chat with my organisation.  We also talked about progression, about what I actually wanted to do workwise, why shouldn't I look for something more in tune with my likes and dislikes rather than just where my talents lie.  These two things 'my skills' and 'my preferences' were not necessarily in the same role.  He also shared with me his experiences which led me to trust him further.

My Wellbeing Coach was just the person I needed.  We only spoke a small number of times but I was able and comfortable to share everything.  Whilst she made me feel comfortable in the beginning she also also pushed me to test and question some of my thoughts and assumptions.  To question why I thought the way I did about certain things.  To realise that just because  one person has an opinion on you or your work that might be negative, that should cloud or rule out any other positive voices.  Why listen to that 1%?  Why try to please that 1% when they are never going to be pleased at anything?  

We also talked about perceptions of working women, those with high positions in organisations and who had leadership positions.  What their reputation might be like and what they thought about it.  The fact that my perception of having that high position was that it would mean loosing the work/life balance I would want by working 50 hours per week, made me not want to pursue anything like that.  She challenged that perspective and offered up examples of where a job share arrangement for two women in a Director role had succeeded.

Both my coaches were a directory of information and further help that is available, something that I would have struggled to find myself.  Whether it was clips of speakers knowledgeable about the topic we had just been speaking about or resources on interview techniques and question styles.

The existence of this project has been a lifeline to me.  The people I have met through it have been amazing, caring, knowledgeable, friendly, constructive, practical, thought provoking and committed.  I will forever be grateful to them as I feel that I have grown and changed as a person because of their input.  I believe that this type of service should be available to anyone and directly through healthcare providers and if in my professional career I had the power to make that happen, I would.

I will be forever grateful and thankful.