Time to dig deep
For most of my career, I was an Operations Manager, dealing with processes, tasks and people. Setting teams up, implementing change, down-sizing or reorganising. If there was a problem, I was the fixer, the ‘go to’ person to get things done, the one to find a solution to your problem.
I’m still the same, since my move into HR, about 10 years ago. I’m not sure whether it was the shift into a more people centric role or whether balancing work-life was becoming tougher, but I noticed mental-health issues were becoming more prevalent when dealing with people matters.
Understanding the ‘why’, digging deeper as to what was really going on, led to a different outcome. Performance Improvement Plans often replaced with Wellness Action Plans.
Two years ago, I was fortunate enough to train as an MHFA England accredited mental-health first aider, working for an employer who rightly considered this an essential part of their employee engagement and well-being strategy.
Supporting colleagues, friends and family made me realise how valuable the tools and skills were - so much so that I became an accredited MHFA England instructor and mental-health advocate, to continue to raise awareness, reduce stigma and offer training to help people help themselves and others.
Since March 2020 the world as we knew it became unrecognisable and the true extent of the COVID virus legacy on our well-being may not reveal itself for many months, or years, to come.
I passionately believe that building resilience and addressing imbalance in your well-being is integral to tackling what lies ahead. It’s time to dig deep.
My top 3 tips for January:
1. Switch off the news or limit your viewing to positive news outlets such as https://www.positive.news or listen to podcasts for inspiration such as ‘Feel Better, Live More’ by Dr Rangan Chatterjee (https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/feel-better-live-more-with-dr-rangan-chatterjee/id1333552422)
2. Connect in different ways - if you’ve had enough of Zoom or Teams calls, can’t face another online quiz or family singalong, how about writing a letter? Sending a card? Make a phone call instead of text ping-pong? Even smiling at a stranger helps us remain connected - humans are social creatures, after all.
3. Be kind to yourself - sleep if you’re tired, exercise to your level of fitness, reduce your alcohol intake if dry January is a step too far. Whatever it takes to top up your well-being battery, give it a go. Just one small change may make a big difference.
You can find other useful resources at:
https://www.actionforhappiness.org
Do get in touch if you are interested in resilience, well-being or MHFA training: info@everyonehr.co.uk