barely covers the rent? Money
worries set in along with
everything else, and suddenly
international travel doesn’t
seem quite so attractive.
Airlines, at least, seem to
be catching up with other
industries in terms of
workplace wellness. British
Airways explains: ‘We are
introducing a new mental
health platform for employees
(Unmind) this year – as well
as mental health champions
and additional support services.
In addition, we offer a 24/7
counselling service to all crew
members, which is staffed by
flying colleagues who are also
trained counsellors.’ Last year,
Virgin Atlantic launched the
Green Ribbon network for its
cabin crew community, with
‘the aim being to provide a
befriender network for our crew
to open up conversations and
support those who may need it.
We have a subtle green ribbonon the crew name badge to identify those trained as
mental health first aiders.’ Both airlines have also signed
up to the Time to Change employer pledge, making
a commitment to open up the conversation around
mental health in the workplace. ‘More and more
workplaces are recognising the value of prioritising
workplace wellbeing,’ says Time to Change directorJo Loughran. ‘Research consistently shows that when
employees feel valued and supported, they tend to
have higher wellbeing levels.’ Charter airline TUI and
short-haul service EasyJet offer their employees access
to an employee assistance programme, which provides
free online and telephone advice.
Despite the pressures, Ann missed the job so much
once she quit that she returned to flying last year, on a
part-time contract in order to better manage her self-
care. ‘Now that I’m a cabin manager, I notice that there’s
always at least one person on every trip who doesn’twant to go out, who is quite insular. I make
sure I put my phone number on every
briefing sheet and encourage anyone to call
me if they want or need to talk.’ Amanda has
reduced her hours, too, and tries to practise
healthier routines when she’s at work. ‘I
carry a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
book,’ she says. ‘I refer back to it should
I need to deal with stress and anxiety on
a trip. I also take time out for myself and
ensure I try to get rest where possible. I do
feel that we’re expected to suppress our
emotions, but for those of us who have been
here for years, we tend to talk and help each
other out. Now, I’m always happy to discuss
my own experience with colleagues.’
My own experience ended with a struggle
to return to normal life. It took around six
months for the tiredness to subside and for
me to wake up feeling alert again. I moved
house, started a new career in journalism
and found calm and sanity in a sense of
routine. I missed the weekly travel,
exploration and the friends I still had from
training. But being grounded gave me back
something I’d lost with the demands of
constant long-haul flying. Myself.‘I make sure to notice
the crew member
who doesn’t want
to go out’
DISCOVER THE BIOGLAN DIFFERENCE
Available at:
Achieving a beautiful you never tasted so good!
*50% off ONLY when purchased on http://www.Bioglan.co.uk using code VG50 across
the whole VitaGummies range. Code valid until midnight 31/08/19. Postage costs
may apply. ^Zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal hair, skin & nails.
OnlineBioglan VitaGummies Women’s Multivitamin are a vegan friendly gummy providing key
vitamins and minerals for healthy hair, skin & nails.^50%
OFF