stress – Hinterland

Therapy dogs bound into Aberdeen airport to alleviate stress

Ivan Annibal — Sun, 05 May 2019 09:23:22 +0000

In a busy world thank goodness for the therapy dog. Many of those involved in Local Government could, I am sure, have benefitted from having a friendly dog at hand this week. This story tells us:

The passengers fresh off the afternoon flight from Southampton are scanning the information boards at Aberdeen international airport for the whereabouts of their baggage when their attention is drawn to something altogether less stressful, as members of the UK’s first ever team of airport therapy dogs bound into the arrivals hall.

A group of teenage girls, visiting Aberdeen for a diving competition, are the first to spot the Canine Crew and zoom over, chattering excitedly and crowding around the dogs, who respond with perfect calm, friendly wags and, in the case of Breagh the golden retriever, an inviting display of furry tummy.

“I think this is a really good idea,” nods Emma Bolton, 14, enthusiastically. “They would calm me down a lot.”

“You have happy thoughts when you see them,” explains her friend Felicity Cronin, also 14, “instead of dreading things about the airport. It gives you something else to think about.”

As Breagh, along with Grace the Scottish deerhound, Noodle the beagle and their owners, trot through the terminal sporting bright yellow bandanas that identify them as “therapets”, the effect on passengers and staff is instantaneous and exponential. There is plenty of research showing that dogs can improve mental health and wellbeing, alleviate stress and calm nerves and, while these dogs are being brought in from 4 May specifically to assist anxious travellers, it seems no one can walk by without pausing for a pat and a play.

Stressed Brits buy record number of self-help books

Ivan Annibal — Mon, 11 Mar 2019 16:54:52 +0000

As we wait for the outcome of a serious series of Parliamentary votes this week it sounds like we should be seeking some self help advice. This story tells us:

Sales of self-help books have reached record levels in the past year, as stressed-out Britons turn to celebrities, psychologists and internet gurus for advice on how to cope with uncertain times.

Three million such books were sold – a rise of 20% – according to figures from Nielsen Book Research, propelling self-improvement or pop psychology into one of the fastest-growing genres of publishing.

“People come into the shop and they’re really fed up about things. They’re looking for reassurances and peace of mind, so self-help books have become incredibly popular,” said Paul Sweetman, owner of City Books in the seaside town of Hove.

In 25 years of business, Sweetman says he’s never known customers more in need of uplifting reading than they are now – a result, he believes, of the political climate both here and abroad.

Public Sector Efficiency Challenge launched

Ivan Annibal — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 16:34:52 +0000

Following the launch of Spending Review 2015, the Government is asking public sector workers to provide ideas on how things could be done better or more efficiently. This week the Chancellor and Chief Secretary have been promoting a ‘Public Sector Efficiency Challenge’. In an open letter, the Government calls upon public sector workers to identify savings in government departments. The letter reads: You do an incredible job, day in, day out…You know better than most where we can take the next steps. You know first-hand where things are working well on the frontline of public services, but also where the waste is and where we can provide better services for less money. You know where we can go further to reform our public services and where we can devolve more power so that local people have more control and local leaders are more accountable’. The Treasury and Cabinet Office have created an online survey – with responses requested by 4 September. A similar exercise in 2010 led to the reduction in the need for multiple Criminal Records Bureau checks by making greater use of electronic access for employers and stopping the distribution of National Insurance numbers to people with a plastic card. In June 2015 the Clockoff Survey received 3,700 responses from people in jobs ranging from social work to police and probation and from social housing to the NHS and charities. The picture that emerges is one where staff are already working long hours with few breaks – 93% of respondents were stressed at work either some or all of the time; and on average respondents put in an extra seven hours a week. With the Treasury’s/Cabinet Office’s survey, it will be interesting to see if/how the public sector can continue to ‘do more with less’.