It's ok not to feel ok

The coronavirus outbreak has thrown many of us into new work habits and social routines, as we distance ourselves from our friends, family and colleagues whilst adapting to 'business-not-quite-as-usual', it is very easy to overlook our own mental and physical well-being.

Dr Alex, a trained psychotherapist and our leadership coach has years of professional experience educating people on the importance of looking after your mental health and is a big advocate of open dialogue. In this video seminar she ran for our staff, she discusses the importance of building resilience and offers some fantastic practical solutions for addressing low moods.

Some of the key take-homes from the seminar are:

• The brain has a negative bias, we are hardwired to experience heightened emotions to negative experiences.
• Afford yourself some time each day to tune in to how you are feeling.
• Try and ensure your looking after yourself physically by getting enough sleep, eating nutritiously and exercising.
• Have a future focused mindset: set yourself achievable personal and work-related goals.
• Maintain strong relationships both at work and in your personal life.
• Keep a perspective on things.

Normalising mental health and building resilience 

As a society, we have come a long way in challenging the stigma attached to mental health and hopefully it is no longer a conversation that people shy away from in the workplace. That said, it is very easy to internalise or ignore negative thoughts, rather than reach out. Accepting that feelings of loneliness, detachment or uncertainty are ok, especially during the current lockdown, is incredibly important. And equally, knowing that there are things you can do to navigate through the lows, will hopefully help anyone that feels a little overwhelmed at the moment.

Please do take a few minutes to watch the video seminar and if you feel you are struggling, know that there are people ready to listen and help.