Have you ever had that feeling when you wake up and within a few minutes want to go straight back to bed? There have been a few days recently when I have been ‘out of sorts’ as they would have said some years ago.
Unlike in the past I don’t shy away from it and will say something on social media. Not for sympathy or for comment but just to show that I am human and my life is not all flowers and sunshine.
The mind is a very powerful thing and we all have our own ways of dealing with things and responding to circumstances. As I was putting the finishing touches to my report on resilience it made me think again about my own resilience.
I was putting the text and graphs into the report and gathering expert advice about what you can do. But at the same time I was having my own mental battle to fight off the negative thoughts. I am getting much better at recognising when I am reaching full in my mental bucket. Sadly, I am not yet as good at doing something about it.
The CIPR and PRCA joint approach to tackling mental health issues in the industry is very welcome. Talking about the situation is important but so is doing something about it.
I was quite shocked in the survey, undertaken to help with the resilience report, showing that two thirds of respondents had never had any resilience training. This has to change. Training plans really need to be updated to include this, and personal development plans also need to reflect the importance of resilience. Don’t confuse resilience with being tough the two are not the same. We are talking about training in how to deal with the uncertainties of life. I hope the PR industry will find ways is introducing that training and expanding the conversation.
If you are interested in the resilience report it will be published on Monday 9 August at midday. Check social media for updates or message me for an email copy.
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