EPISODES

This month we discuss the creation of this podcast series and our own personal links to Mental Health. Hannah, Lucy, Louise and Hannah discuss the industry, where we see some of the struggles and what we plan to tackle over future episodes.

In this Episode, Lucy Howard shares her story with us - what it feels like to experience a breakdown and how she came through the other side stronger than ever. We discuss how you might identify your trigger points for stress or anxiety and the power of the support network around you.

In this episode we welcome Carlo, who candidly shares his experience of panic attacks and how their crippling effects have impacted upon his life. We talk about the circumstances leading up to Carlo’s first panic attack and how their physical and mental impact are so intertwined. We also discuss how Carlo has managed to prevent and deal with the effects of his panic attacks through meditation and baking – powerful tools for others to embrace.

In this month's episode we discuss all things 2019. We talk openly about how the year went for us; what we learned, how we grew and why we are doing things differently. We focus on key issues and opportunities around mental health that have been prominent in the news, and the changing tone and awareness of how these are raised and dealt with.
Finally, we discuss what we are looking forward to in 2020 and how the conversation around mental health will continue to grow and impact positively on our lives.

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Links:
Construction news mental health survey 2019

Grief is an emotion that all of us will feel more than once during our lifetime, and it often manifests itself in very different ways. In this episode Hannah Schaapkens shares her very personal story about grief; what it felt like, how she coped, the support network she used, and a reflection on how to support others that may be going through the same.

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This episode we welcome Jon Casey on to the podcast who discusses his journey to accepting that we all have an upper limit on our individual working capacity; how we can be clearer on this, as we would any other piece of essential construction kit.

We are living in unprecedented and uncertain times that have been a shock to all of us. We have had to make dramatic and immediate adjustments to both our working and home lives in order to combat the spread of coronavirus.

We have an open and honest discussion about how we are currently feeling in the midst of this pandemic, the impact on our mental health, how we are adjusting our mindsets, and coping mechanisms to keep up positivity and morale. Most importantly, we recognise that this pandemic is impacting upon our mental health very differently and we are all on different journeys to help ease our anxiety, stress and reactivity.

We hope that this episode provides reassurance to our listeners that the way you are feeling is completely normal, will only be temporary, and there are things you can do to help ease the negative thoughts and feelings.

In this episode we welcome special guest Harriet Clark who shares her story about living with rheumatoid arthritis, an invisible illness that manifests itself in ways which can make everyday activities difficult and very painful.

Harriet touches upon some very pertinent subjects; how living with an invisible illness not only affects both her physical health but also her mental health, and how this is also invisible to others, what it is like to have an invisible illness in the workplace and how she has overcome the challenges this has raised, and being honest with others about how you are feeling and trusting your own judgement.

An inspiring story and one which we hope educates our listeners and raises awareness of this under discussed topic.

This episode we welcome Paul Sheffield, President of the Institution of Civil Engineers. Paul has a vast wealth of experience in the Construction Industry both in the U.K. and abroad, having worked for Kier Group for 31 years (being CEO from 2010-2014) before moving to Laing O’Rourke to head its U.K. and Middle East and Construction business. In addition to Paul’s current role as President of the ICE, he is non-executive Director of Southern Water Services, is on the supervisory board of BAM and an industrial advisor to the board of Manchester Airport Group.
 
We discuss Paul’s own experience of mental health in the construction industry over the years; how it has changed and what more we can do, as well as ensuring people have access to mental health training and what makes training effective. We confront boom and bust over the years and the impact that economic downturns and uncertainty can have on our mental health particularly in the situation we currently find ourselves in. 
 
Paul provides an honest, thoughtful and inspiring perspective on balancing home and work life, working abroad and long commutes, the resulting impact of a recession on businesses and their people and the power of team work and a support network to show kindness and help motivate. 
 
We are sure that our listeners will find this episode very interesting. If you are interested in joining the conversation, please follow the Institution of Civil Engineers on social media.