Workplace wellbeing consultant James Capell-Abra works for Stress Matters and aims to get the kbb industry talking more openly about mental health, wellbeing and stress and asks who is stressed right now?

In my first article for Kitchens & Bathrooms News I thought maybe I should introduce myself, tell you why you should read this bit of the magazine and do a bit of an introduction to the importance of mental health and wellbeing.

Then I realised there’s a good chance you’re speed reading through the magazine trying to stay up-to-date on industry news whilst getting a caffeine hit, herding the kids to get ready for school and thinking about how you’re going to get Mrs Jones’s kitchen install completed on time because the plumber has let you down… Or something along those lines anyway.

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Lauren Goodbrand of Kitchens International on winning the Kbsa Concept Designer Award 2024

Identifying stress

For so many KBB professionals, things are pretty stressful right now. We’re dealing with a lot of uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 and Brexit.

Even those who are busy are most likely worried about price rises, the increasing scarcity of skilled kitchen fitters and how much longer you can keep paying your showroom bills without any footfall through the door.

To modify the famous Wet Wet Wet hit… ‘Stress is all around us.’ So what? You might be thinking. Everyone’s stressed right? It’s part of life. I’ve just got to put up with it.

But what if you didn’t have to just put up with it? What if you, and those around you, could better manage their stress? What effect might that have on your wellbeing? On your colleagues? On your business and your ability to delight your customers?

Managing stress

You see, Stress matters. If we can learn how to manage stress better, we can help to prevent it from becoming a mental illness.

We can improve relationships with our colleagues, suppliers and clients. We can see more clearly and plan better for our futures rather than stumble through the ever-changing environment.

I’m going to be bringing you regular tips and tricks to help you become more aware of your stress, wellbeing and mental health and what you can do to improve things for you, those around you and your business.

In the meantime, I’d just like to leave you with this thought… Success doesn’t have to be stressful. Read that again!