One in four people in the UK will have a mental health problem at some point in their lifetime. Anxiety and depression are the most common problems which are often a reaction to a difficult life event, such as bereavement, but can also be caused by work-related issues. The value added to the economy by people who are at work and have had or have mental health problems is as high as £225 billion per year, which represents 12.1% of the UK’s total GDP.
As a woman, returning to work after you’ve been living in the bubble of a new-born can be daunting. You will be asked when you will return to work before you go on maternity leave and at this point, your employer should give you a date to return to work. They will assume you’ll be away for a year unless you advise them you wish to return to work earlier.
When I was approached to conduct a seminar at the Salisbury Expo “How to recruit for your business”, my initial reaction was absolutely not! My fear of public speaking coupled with some self-doubt meant it wasn’t something I didn’t feel confident enough to do.
