Research from the CIPD absence management survey 2011 now shows stress to top the table as the cause of long term absence in manual and non-manual workers.

Absence costs organisations approximately 8 days per employee per year, and is averaged at £673 per employee per year (this is calculated by occupational sick pay, statutory sick pay, temporary cover, additional overtime costs, and lost production or service provision)

The full report is available on the CIPD website.

On the one hand, this might make depressing reading.  On the other hand, it gives hope that employers will now be aware that stress is not just a “nice thing to think about” but it is a real business issue.  Looking after the well being of staff is not only an important legal and moral issue, but it is also an important business issue.

Looking after your staff is a win-win scenario.  The Craigie Partnership can help explore ways in which your organisation can enhance employee well-being, including tailored Employee Assistance programmes.

Contact 0845 430 8917 for more information or email David Craigie, Chartered Occupational Psychologist on david@craigiepartnership.co.uk

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The Craigie Partnership offers Psychology Services in Edinburgh, Business Support & Consultancy, CBT/Therapy & Counselling, Careers & Coaching.  To find out more about our services visit our website: www.craigiepartnership.co.uk

  Visualisation techniques can be very powerful in helping us achieve our goals.  They can help with personal goals and work goals.

  Psychologists have known for a long time that how we think affects how we feel and what we do.  Visualisation is a form of thinking.

 It has also been used by sports psychologists to improve performance.  By visualising yourself doing well at something, you grow in confidence and actually can become better.

 However, you can also use visualisation techniques to help prepare you to cope with something going wrong, and to increase your resilience.  Try visualising yourself trying something and it not working (e.g. standing up to give a presentation, when the PowerPoint doesn’t work).  Rather than focusing on the thing not working, focus instead on your ability to cope (e.g. making a joke about technology and relying on your handouts instead).

 In the Craigie Partnership, we often use visualisation techniques in our coaching and therapy.  If  you’d like professional help with coaching, contact us on 0131 561 0128.  Our team of psychologists can help with therapy, life coaching, business/executive coaching and more.

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The Craigie Partnership offers Psychology Services in Edinburgh, Business Support & Consultancy, CBT/Therapy & Counselling, Careers & Coaching.  To find out more about our services visit our website: www.craigiepartnership.co.uk

If you are looking to improve your success at reaching your goals (personal or work), or have coaching or mentoring responsibilities for others, here are some tips you might find helpful.

1. Spend some time clearly defining your goals.  Often we have vague or unclear goals, and this understandably holds us back.  Imagine aiming at an archery target in thick fog, when you don’t really know where the target is.  Try to make your goals SMART – specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time framed.

2. Ask yourself about the practical reasons why you have not yet reached your goal.  What practical things have stopped you reaching your goal?  Perhaps you are making good progress, in which case it’s fine.  However, often we just put things off or have things that get in the way.  Remember, if it’s a question of “finding time”, then it can help to appreciate that we don’t “find time” but rather, we make choices and we actually “make time”.

3. Ask yourself what the psychological barriers are to you achieving your goals.  Are you anxious about it?  Do you fear criticism?  Are you worried it will be hard work?

4. Once you’ve identified some of the barriers, you can start to identify solutions to these barriers.  Practical solutions tend to be easier than psychological ones, but even these can sometimes be easily overcome with a new attitude and outlook.  Sometimes it helps to compare the frustration of not having achieved something with the work required to get there and do a cost-benefit analysis.

5. Keep an eye on your progress regularly.  This can help motivate you and encourage you.

If you’d like professional help with coaching, contact the Craigie Partnership on 0131 561 0128.  Our team of psychologists can help with therapy, life coaching, business/executive coaching and more.

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The Craigie Partnership offers Psychology Services in Edinburgh, Business Support & Consultancy, CBT/Therapy & Counselling, Careers & Coaching.  To find out more about our services visit our website: www.craigiepartnership.co.uk