National Stress Awareness Month

Breaking the Silence in the Trades

When people think about strength in industries like gas, electrical and utilities, they often picture technical skill, problem-solving, and getting the job done no matter what. But there’s another kind of strength that doesn’t get talked about enough, and that’s looking after your mental health.

Why this matters

Men’s mental health is a growing issue across the UK, particularly in trade-based industries. Long hours, high-pressure environments, and physically demanding work can all take their toll. Add in the traditional “just get on with it” mindset, and it’s easy to see why many men and women in trades don’t speak up. The reality is simple, ignoring stress doesn’t make it go away, it builds up over time and what once was an easy fix, turns into something much bigger.

The reality in our industry

Working in gas, electrical and utilities isn’t just physically demanding, it requires constant focus, responsibility, and decision-making. These include things like; tight deadlines, high safety expectations, working alone or on site, pressure to perform and a lot more. As a result over time this can lead to stress, burnout, fatigue. Even if you don’t realise it straight away.

Let’s change the conversation

There’s been a big shift in recent years, but there’s still work to do. Talking about mental health doesn’t make you weak, it makes you aware and willing to prioritise your own health, which for everyone should be a priority. You only have one you in this life, you deserve to get the help needed if you’re ever in this situation. We are human at the end of the day, we aren’t designed to run without any issues or imperfections, these issues are normal and you are never alone!

Starting a conversation could be as simple as; checking in with a colleague, saying when something feels off, asking for support when you need it. Those small steps can make a big difference.

Simple ways to look after your mental health

You don’t need a complete lifestyle overhaul. Start with the basics:

• Take proper breaks - Even short ones help reset your focus.

• Keep a routine - Structure reduces stress.

• Stay connected - Don’t isolate yourself.

• Look after your physical health - It links directly to mental wellbeing.

• Speak up early - Don’t wait until things feel overwhelming.

The role of employers and training providers

Creating a supportive environment isn’t just down to individuals, employers play a huge role. At Lomax Training Services, we believe that developing skilled professionals goes beyond technical ability. It’s about; supporting learners both professionally and personally, creating open and supportive training environments, encouraging conversations around wellbeing and helping individuals build confidence and resilience. Having said that, we pride effective training with all staff members being trained with their level 3 mental health safety, ensuring they can look out for themselves, each other and anyone else I need. A strong workforce isn’t just skilled - it’s supported.

In addition to this, we also have brought in a wellness action plan. This was something established by our business development manager Tracey Butler as during covid being a a part of the responding team whilst completing her level 2 in mental health, she was introduced to a wellness action plan and what it is, how it worked etc. Consequently, Tracey understood the importance of these plans subsequently implementing them into the Lomax work place for staff and learners.

Final thoughts

Men’s mental health isn’t something to ignore or push aside. It’s just as important as physical safety on-site.

If we can normalise conversations, support each other, and take small steps every day, we can start to break the stigma for good.

Strength isn’t about staying silent; it’s about knowing when to speak!

If you need additional support reach out to:

TogetherWomen:https://togetherwomen.org/ or AndysManClub https://andysmanclub.co.uk/