Mike Dunn
11 May 2022
Mental health… up until a few years ago this subject was often ignored and sometimes even sniggered at. Luckily times have changed, and now more than ever mental health is less of a taboo and more importantly it is the norm to express how we feel.
If we look at how life has changed for all of us since March 2020, I am sure we would all agree that the way we in which we handle situations in and out of work have changed, if Covid has taught us anything it’s that we should no longer assume that our traditional ways of working or living in general are going to be the same or successful – We need to learn and adapt.
I openly admit that I struggled with mental health most of my life, in fact it was only the start of this week that I felt low and had to admit I was struggling to cope – I had to use my own advice and speak with a friend.
Coming from a family of builders I always tried to paper over the cracks of my emotions when I was younger and seem okay – looking back I now know that if I had been more open about how I felt, my family wouldn’t have been interested in the macho builder bullshit. They would have listened and helped me.
This is why I think it’s so important and crucial that we take 5 minutes to speak with our team or family members and simply ask them “how are things?”
Not everyone wants to share personal details right away, everyone’s deals with things differently and once again its our job to find the best way of approaching the situation.
Every member of our team has different levels of experience, and they have all come from different backgrounds. Quick growth since setting up has also meant learning very quickly how to implement ways of working that help everyone and more importantly help them realise they are not just another number.
Every year more and more figures are released which indicate how many people are struggling with mental health either in the workplace or at home, some even at school!
I was so incredibly proud of my daughter who recently told me she was learning about mental health in school, she is only 6 years old and already understands that asking someone how they are doing is probably the best medicine available.
Mental health and how we deal with the subject should be one of the most important factors in our day to day running of a business, how we do it is up to us!
Admitting you need to speak with someone takes courage, its not a moment of failure!
It takes courage to act, it does not mean you are defeated, it does not make any less of a person it makes you the bravest person in the room.
So please whoever you are, whatever you are doing right now if you have read this, please keep that at the forefront of your mind and remember someone will always be there to listen
Whether we are friends, colleges, old work colleges, met once or simply never met before but we are connected please know that I am free to talk, even if you just want to vent!
Many Thanks
Mike Dunn