Laying the Foundations for Mental Health in Construction in Northern Ireland

As the first group to attend the CITB NI Mates in Mind educational session, we aim to continue to raise awareness and address the stigma of poor mental health, while improving positive mental wellbeing amongst the Northern Irish construction industry.

The half day session provided information, tools and techniques to spot the signs of poor mental health and know how to act as a guide towards getting appropriate support for your colleagues.

Some nuggets of information:

• Solution – Resolution – Dissolution: Spend more time on the Resolution stage, putting effort into the actions needed to improve our issue so that it can be dissolved. Only providing a solution with no effort to solve it won’t get us very far.
• Lacking in confidence is a state of mind. Staying in this state may end up in you becoming a victim which then changes your behaviour. Other people only see you as a ‘failure’ when your behaviour then tells them.
• Negativity from others is THEIR problem and has nothing to do with you. Find people who lift you and appreciate you.
• Give people your Time and Trust. Then they know they can come to talk to you when they need to. Give those 5 minutes to just listen.

Thanks to the tam at CITB NI, Mates in Mind and delivery partner, Inspire Knowledge and Leadership for the training.