Case Study

Working with an Employee in the Banking Sector. 

Within six weeks my client had better energy levels, more work efficiency, productivity and less sick days, all through focusing on her health and mindset.

I received an email from an accountant working in a large city firm. My client at the time was 34 years old, she loved being an accountant and feeling part of a team but she was starting to feel the pressures such as managing multiple accounts and deadlines , all of which she knew she was capable of to advance her career.  This started to affect her mood, sleep, energy levels and concentration. In this time she was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and she started to display symptoms of irregular periods, acne and weight gain. Her confidence and ability to keep up with work demands started to suffer. She admittedly ignored things for a long time and the pressures of work meant she was stress eating and sleeping late.

The main challenges identified after our discovery call included, lack of confidence, reduced team engagement and slower productivity. Her seniors had noticed a change in her attitude and energy and she had asked for some deadline extensions as well. This hugely mattered to the firm as they were in the process of securing some accounts within the property industry.  As a consequence of these concerns highlighted, she had turned to negative health behaviours as we often do such as stress eating, mostly processed foods. She was having a lack of sleep which had implications to the following working day. 

I worked with my client 1:1 each week for 6 weeks, each session lasting about 50 minutes. I designed this programme specifically to tackle her symptoms which was negatively impacting her fulfilment and success at work. Using my combination of lifestyle medicine, coaching and meditation, we tackled a particular concern each week, with weekly joint goal setting which was realistic for my client to achieve. We built and layered upon this as the weeks went passed resulting in better energy levels and more self-confidence. Some techniques I used in this particular case were mental rehearsal of the day, calming anxiety with meditation and looking for hunger/fullness cues when it came to eating habits.

After 6 weeks, my client had a more positive outlook on life, she felt more in control of her health and the day. She was more productive and was able to fit more into her day, focussing on one task at a time. She also set out protected time to have a break away from her desk – a game change for her where she could go out for a walk and practice her walking meditation. By week five, she was offered a job opportunity to advance her skill set and career. Her self belief and sense of capability sky-rocketed.  She said to me she felt hopeful because she had a clear plan for what worked for her health in order for her to function in a more positive and productive way.  She also reported less acne flare up and her eczema had settled down – again having a skin condition can also affected confidence and hence performance. She had also lost weight and her menstrual cycle had returned – she described feeling more balanced. 

This case highlighted to me that individual health needs when addressed, have a direct and positive influence on a business. My client’s colleagues made positive health changes as they saw the visible results in my client. It seemed to lift everyone’s spirits and create a sturdy sense of community. This in turn, creates value, belonging and retention of staff.  My client took less time off work and she was also able to support other women with PCOS. This deepened connection with colleagues, helped team collaboration and performance. Meditation practices helped to make decision quicker and more streamline. Communication between colleagues also improved with less disagreements. This enhanced personal satisfaction and overall progression towards goals set out for my client’s team.