Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Revolutionising workplace wellbeing
Hi Hanna! Why did you choose Leeds Beckett?
I’m working with both the School of Sport and the Business School under the Health and Wellbeing Institute and they’re leaders in the application of theory into practice. They don’t just sit and talk about it - they are actually doing things with that research and improving people’s lives.
As a result of that, there’s loads of really exciting collaborations that are happening all the time at Leeds Beckett with NHS England, Public Health England and the Department of Health and the Postgraduate community here is really flourishing. It’s a great time to be part of it.
What is your proudest achievement to date?
As a practitioner, I was working with people helping them to improve their health in the workplace. We did some work with the NHS and made a dramatic improvement to their workforce’s quality of life. It was really effective and Simon Stephens, Chief Executive of NHS England, heard about the programme and wanted to know more.
It was my responsibility to talk to him about what we were doing, why it works and what it looks like in a hospital in Sheffield. One of the nurses who had taken part in the programme gave his account of his experiences. I’d not really thought of it from the other side before so to sit and hear about how it changed his life both in and out of work was really rewarding and actually quite emotional!
What is your PhD all about?
We know it’s really difficult to change your behaviour, specifically health-wise. A lot of us feel as though we are lazy or greedy but actually we are designed to be like that as human beings - to take the path of least resistance and to sit down and use as little energy as possible and to eat as much as possible.
Change is really needed now as chronic disease in the nation is steadily increasing - costing the NHS a lot of money and costing business in lost productivity.
The workplace makes perfect sense to be the platform for us to help people to change their behaviours.
It’s a depressing statistic, but we spend at least half of our waking life in the workplace.
So behaviour change needs to be made as easy as possible for everybody. We need to stop feeling bad about what we’re not able to do – I always say ‘owt is better than nowt’!
There’s loads of research on what doesn’t work, but not much on what does. Hopefully we have an opportunity here to show what does work in different workplaces.
Why did you choose this subject?
Seventy per cent of the NHS budget is spent on things that can be prevented. So there is so much to be gained by improving the health of those in work.
What’s the best thing about doing a PhD?
It gives you the opportunity to do something meaningful in an autonomous way - and something that you are really passionate about. It’s about developing something niche, depending on what your area is.
It is very much self-led and you get to work with, and be guided by, academics who are leaders in your field.
And what’s the biggest challenge so far?
Developing a focus and narrowing down my ideas - because workplace wellbeing is such a broad and relatively new topic. There are loads of different ways to approach this, so deciding which one to prioritise is difficult!
What is your favourite spot on Campus?
I like the outdoors so it’s got to be the Acre at Headingley Campus. It’s got a lovely view and it seems so peaceful and away from the city. Also there are some secret woods all around Churchwood House where I work.
What is your top tip for new research students?
Have faith in why you’re here in the first place. There’s a good reason why you’ve been awarded this opportunity. At the same time, have faith in your supervisors. Also be prepared that your original ideas will change and that’s fine - it’s constantly evolving. Very rarely is there right and wrong in this - it’s not black and white, just different; you can take any number of different pathways. Be prepared to be flexible but have faith.
What’s the most useful thing that you’ve learnt so far?
That we just need to make behaviour change as easy as possible for everybody and to stop giving ourselves a hard time about not being that gold standard super human!
Unfortunately everyone knows someone who wants to run 10 miles a day, doesn’t like beer and doesn’t eat sugar. But just be kind to yourself and work with your brain and your body.
What do you do to unwind?
My favourite thing is climbing but I also run, ride my bike and drink beer! In the summer I like music festivals and generally anything sociable and outdoors.
Where do you want your PhD to take you?
I want it to be useful. I want it to be a resource for employers and hopefully others beyond. I want to help people to implement something meaningful and effective in the workplace that as many people as possible can benefit from – individuals, the economy, the NHS. I want it to be something that anyone can access and feel better about themselves.
What would you say to someone thinking about applying for a PhD at Leeds Beckett University?
Do it now! You just don’t know where it will take you. It’s a fantastic place to study. It’s so well set-up for postgraduate study and it opens many doors.
A PhD gives you a passport to become an independent researcher but that’s just one avenue you can follow. You can also go into industry and any number of places. If you’ve got a passion for a subject and you’ve got something you want to say about it, just do it!
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