Karren Brady’s career advice on separating home struggles from work
APPRENTICE star and West Ham United vice-chair Karren Brady answers your careers questions, plus we launch our new money column.
Here she gives a reader advice on how to separate her fertility struggles from her work, as she’s surrounded by small children everyday.
Q) I’m a primary school teacher and I generally enjoy my job. However, recently I’ve been finding it really difficult, as my husband and I have been trying unsuccessfully for a baby.
It’s hard for me to separate my fertility struggles from my work, as I’m surrounded by small children and their parents all the time, and I’ve even burst into tears in the staff room.
I haven’t told my head of year what’s going on, though she must have noticed.
I don’t want to give up the career I love, but I also can’t carry on like this. Do you have any advice?
Em, via email
A) I’m so very sorry to hear about your struggles to conceive, and can see why you would find it difficult to separate this from your work with young children.
Importantly, you know you need some help. Try to identify what you feel when you start to get overwhelmed or upset, as the more you know your triggers and how this presents itself, the easier it will be to employ techniques to manage them.
Talking is important here, so speak to your husband and also to your head of year, as having support at both home and work is vital.
Sometimes people are afraid to ask for help as they see it as weakness, but I think it’s actually a real strength, and once your school is more aware of what you are going through, they will be able to support you better.
Your GP can help you with taking time off work if you need it, as well as any mental health support.
It sounds like you are a wonderful and caring teacher, but don’t forget to be as patient and kind to yourself as you are with your pupils.
- Got a careers question for Karren? Email bossingit@fabulousmag.co.uk
5 WAYS TO SAVE ON... ENERGY BILLS
Utility bills are set to jump in April, but there are ways to cut costs now. In our new money column, The Sun’s Senior Consumer Reporter Lucy Alderson explains how.
- GO GREEN – SAVE £100s: Insulation can make your home cosier, but can also slash heating bills. Start by blocking any draughts around your home to save up to £100 a year. It’s cheap and easy to do – just stuff old socks and tights at the bottom of doors to stop the chill creeping in. Also put cling film around window frames or use draught-proof tape (around £5 from DIY stores).
- SWITCH OFF VAMPIRE APPLIANCES – SAVE UP TO £500: Tackle energy-guzzling gadgets by turning them off at the plug to save up to £500 a year on average. Desktop computers, games consoles and electric towel rails could be costing you hundreds of pounds if left on standby, as these so-called “vampire” appliances burn energy even when not in use. If they have an energy-saving mode, make use of it!
- CHECK SETTINGS – SAVE £100s: Switch to a high spin on your washing machine, dial down the temperature to 30°C and cut out one laundry load a week – these three things can save £70 a year. In addition, turn the temperature on your combi boiler down to 60°C to save up to £112 a year. While you’re at it, bleed any radiators and ensure furniture isn’t blocking them, as this drives up bills.
- GET FUNDED – UP TO £2,000: Money’s tight for all of us now, but there are grants you can apply for if you’re struggling to pay your bills. You could get up to £1,500 via the British Gas Energy Support Fund for those in arrears or facing fuel poverty, and you don’t need to be a customer. Scottish Power, Ovo Energy, E.ON and Octopus also offer grants worth hundreds of pounds for those on low incomes or struggling financially. Your local council will have a Household Support Fund you can apply to, too, though you’ll likely have to be on benefits or a low income to be eligible.
- ACT SMART – SAVE UP TO £750: Getting to grips with your energy usage can slash costs. Installing a smart meter (ask your energy supplier for a free one) provides real-time information on spending. By monitoring how much they’re using, some readers save £65 a year. Smart plugs, which cost around £8, could save hundreds, too. Slot it into your socket, plug your appliance in and it will tell you how much energy it’s using – one reader slashed £750 off his annual bills!