Oh what a year…..but some good will come from it!! Without doubt 2020 has been an exceptionally challenging year and Covid-19 will have impacted every family in the country in some way or another. This virus is officially a pandemic but we are also experiencing a mental health pandemic too. The pressure on our mental resilience is undoubtedly greater on mass than at any stage since the Second World War. However, I believe that some good will also come out…
Spending 11 days in complete isolation has given me substantial time to think about where I am on my journey with Breaking the Silence, a crusade that began four years ago to create kinder cultures of trust in the workplace that are free from the stigma of mental health. I have read so much in that time about how businesses are having to adapt to survive the coronavirus and keep remote workers emotionally engaged. I will admit to having moments…
I am generally known as someone who is very positive and always has a happy disposition. I am humbled that people turn to me when needing support, encouragement, inspiration, non-judgemental advice or just someone to listen to their troubles. I am seen as someone who is strong and able to cope with just about everything that is thrown at them. Well I have a confession to make…… Last Friday morning I had a complete selfish meltdown, felt incredibly sorry for…
My life changed for the worse on the 2nd September 1986 when at 24 years old I suffered a panic attack whilst interviewing somebody. For the next 30 years I suffered in silence with my mental health and spent so many days in my career hiding from colleagues around me my constant battles with anxiety. I tried to find a cure for my panic attacks but eventually gave up, believing it was impossible. In 2008 I finally gave up the…
Why is it that when we think about physical health we naturally picture a very positive image of somebody like Usain Bolt but when we visualise mental health we picture somebody looking pained with their head in their hands? You can put it to the test by typing physical health and mental health into google images to see the huge contrast in the images displayed. Everybody has physical health and at some stage every year could be physically healthier. In…