Kelly Nolan, A MHFA (Mental Health First Aider) and Director of Sales at Finset, shares her perspective and advice on mental health awareness.
The 10th October 2020 was World Mental Health Day where people around the world came together to raise awareness and help those who suffer with mental health issues - this year has not been the easiest for anyone.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, NHS doctors have seen a rise in people reporting mental health difficulties. People have suffered due to factors including isolation or economic uncertainty - and for some, basic everyday actions such as going to the supermarket and socialising in public places or using public transport, have suddenly grown to become challenging for the first time.
To this day, we as a nation have never experienced such serious unprecedented circumstances in which the country has had to act rapidly in orchestrating lockdowns and restrictions. Even then, it has not been as straight forward as isolating until the problem disappears, which has had a significant affect on citizens with mental health issues.
In the workplace, MHFA England states that ‘most adults spend at least a third of their time at work’, and we have all recently had to make changes to everyday working life, such as working from home, restricting the way we work or by putting in place safety measures to allow companies to proceed with business as usual.
Everyone at Finset knows someone- either themselves or friends and/or family members - that has been affected by mental health issues, and as a company we are very lucky to have a MHFA(Mental Health First Aider) to help protect and raise awareness about mental health wellbeing.
Finset’s Director of Sales Kelly Nolan has received an accreditation, rewarding her with a certificate as a Mental Health First Aider. We sat down with Kelly to ask her some questions about what she does and how she helps people, as a MHFA...
What made you decide to become a Mental Health First Aider?
“Within work it seemed everybody came to me to have a chat, or voice any issues they were having, whether that be professionally or personally. From that, I decided on my own terms to approach my employer to become a known and accredited MHFA for the business. When coming to this decision, it was not to support just internal colleagues, but everyone I encounter. As Director of Sales at Finset, I am in contact with dealerships, customers and work colleagues every day and I feel I have a duty to provide support to all, whether that be listening, or directing people to professional support if needed. It came to me that if a colleague were distressed and I had knowledge of how to deal with certain situations or spot the signs of mental ill health, it could likely have a much more positive outcome.”
What advice would you give to someone who is also concerned about somebody that seemed down?
“Although I am naturally bubbly and chatty, we have 2 ears and 1 mouth for a reason….and from studying the course, I realised that if someone is suffering from mental ill health, the most effective thing you can do is start a supportive conversation and listen in a non-judgemental manner.”
From time to time it is forgotten that we are all human, and we do all feel things. In February 2020, TV presenter Caroline Flack had sadly died by taking her own life due to struggles with her mental health. It was a shock to everyone, and it showed that those that you think have a fantastic lifestyle and quality of life may also be struggling with mental ill health. Numerous celebrities in the public eye have also had similar struggles and some have managed to seek help. The help is available; we as a world need to help build awareness so that the support can be recognised and utilised. In addition, we need to keep organisations helplines open by raising funds when we can.
The team at Finset are always listening to you, not just to assist you with finance but we will always be looking out for your wellbeing. Our message to you is to ‘Be kind and be therefor others’.
Mental Health Charities
A list of mental health charities which offer support if you or someone you know needs it, or if you can make a donation:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/mental-health-helplines/
Further information
Government guidance for the public on mental health and wellbeing aspects of coronavirus:
A Representative HP Example: borrowing £10,000 over 60 Months with a representative of 14.4% APR, an annual interest rate of 14.4% (fixed) and a deposit of £0.00, the amount payable would be 59 repayments of £230.25 per month, with one final repayment of £240.25 (which includes the option to purchase fee of £10.00), with a total cost of credit of £3,814.81 and a total amount payable of £13,824.81.Finset Finance is a broker, not a lender. This means that we may offer different rates and the above is for illustrative purposes only and is not a quote or an offer of finance.
