Problem is we don’t want to fess up to seeming weak, vulnerable, a liability, stress, anxiety, depression. So we tough it out at work until something snaps. But what if the culture was more tolerant of the human condition? One way of normalising ordinary pressures is to have senior management share their struggles with mental ill health. Getting buy-in from the top. Behind the mask, some will have experienced intolerable
Invest £1 for a £5 return. Seriously? How? A study by Deloitte in January 2020 highlighted that in the UK a sixth of workers experienced a mental health problem at any one time. (That’s over 16%. Maybe 16% of your staff?) And that stress, anxiety and depression were considered responsible for almost half of working days lost in recent years due to health issues. (Of which a huge chunk is
Sometimes things can get a bit too much. Pressing 'pause' can help. Lots. Even if it's just for a few short minutes. Here's a simple exercise to help to slow things down - all you have to be able to do is to count up to five. Using the fingers of one hand and spending about one minute on each finger: 1 Concentrate on your breathing. Don't try to
A while back, in 2015 to be precise, I wrote a post on Medium. In retrospect, it became a sort of manifesto - as part of the process of writing a book. And most of it still applies to the 2020 Plague. This is it: So what's this about? Well I suppose I could begin at 8 o'clock and talk about Matisse. At the Cut Outs exhibition at
Feeling overloaded, out of control, or unrewarded? Or a bit out of touch with colleagues, sensing the unfairness of your situation, or being asked to do things that don't feel quite right? Welcome to Spring 2020 - worldwide lockdown. None of us have been exempt from coronavirus and its effects. Being ill, losing loved ones, experiencing the huge demands of lockdown and its consequences, both in personal and professional lives.
Feeling stressed? Here’s a short five point guide to help you do a quick self-audit. Stress itself isn’t the problem. It’s a part of life. But excessive pressure in different areas of our lives can tip us into feeling overwhelmed at times. And when the heat’s on it’s easy to overlook what’s happening for us. Social The effects of stress show up in our relationships. How are we getting on
