You never have to feel alone at Anchor
The theme for this Mental Health Awareness Week (9th – 15th May) is loneliness, a topic seldom discussed but often felt. At Anchor we pride ourselves on our equality and inclusion commitment, actively encouraging open discourse in a safe space to increase understanding and acceptance of our diverse range of colleagues.
Today we’re focusing on mental health and have a great case study to share from our colleague Tayyaba who has struggled with mental health and the feeling of isolation and loneliness for a number of years. Here’s her story:
I had a tough time at university with devastating bouts of depression, anxiety and panic disorders, but with support of student disability services, I was diagnosed with Dyspraxia and ADHD. In addition to this, I was finally being taken seriously by my GP about chronic pain/fatigue, I also found out I have endometriosis and hypermobility in my spine/hips. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the support I needed at home – culturally within South Asian families, these are not things that are ever talked. It was a really lonely time, as I was learning so much about myself that I couldn’t really share with anyone. I was so grateful for the help I got through the student services network at university, so when I joined Anchor and realised this was something that was offered for colleagues, I was so excited to be a part of it all!
Anchor celebrates all of our colleagues and residents and are striving to create a fully inclusive workplace. We do this through our four EDI networks:
- enABLE – for colleagues living with disabilities and/or neurodiverse conditions, or those caring for someone with a disability
- embRACE – our race and ethnicity network
- Rainbow – for any colleague who identifies as LGBT+
- Inclusive Ambassadors – our ‘allies’ network is open to all colleagues with a passion for EDI and who want to celebrate and promote this in Anchor
I love having this network of people around me. The informal chats at drop-in sessions or ‘just wanted to see how you are’ emails really help combat the loneliness you can sometimes feel when everyone around you seems to be coping fine. We recently changed our name from the Disability Network to the enABLE Network which I think now better reflects who we are - as a network we want to enable people to be a part of our organisation.
We’ve got such a wide range of conditions represented, even if someone doesn’t have exactly the same problems as you, our shared lived experiences make us able to empathise and help each other out. Living with any long-term condition as a working adult can be tough – you take each day as it comes, but as we get older we have to spend a little more time and effort on keeping ourselves going. With time and self-reflection you start reshaping your life, trying to make things better for yourself… with support, this is so much easier, more enjoyable and less isolating!
We care at Anchor, about our residents and about our colleagues. Tayyaba’s story is a fantastic example of how we care for and support our colleagues at all levels without prejudice or stigma. For a career where you’re valued for being you, join Anchor today.
