“Suck it up”
“Get over it”
“Grow a pair”
All phrases I’ve overheard and for my sins probably uttered in my previous life as a high street recruiter.
How silly do I feel now, however of all the sectors, recruitment is probably still behind the times when it comes to looking after the wellbeing and general mental health of its people.
It’s really not that great in the events sector either as statistics show that whilst 1 in 6 in the workplace will experience an episode of mental ill health, in the events industry it’s 1 in 3.
We are however, finally starting to take a stock, listening, talking and being reactive to the problem, but we need to be more proactive, and better at looking after ourselves.
True the industry is great at looking after others (clients and attendees mostly), but this is normally to the detriment of our own personal health and when it comes to overall wellbeing self-care is the most important from an individual perspective, and culture from a business perspective.
Why is this?
I’m not saying we shouldn’t lose track of being professional or working hard, however, ‘work hard play hard’ only gets you so far whereas looking after yourself and the people around you will ensure continued growth and success and this is something everyone benefits from.
My wellbeing advice is to always take time for yourself during the working day, take an hour for lunch, attend a class or even just have a walk round the block to clear your head, but most importantly, if you feel down, it’s okay to tell people as help is available and it’s nothing to be ashamed about.
If you’re interested in getting involved with a worthy social enterprise and their campaign work or just want some advice, I recommend speaking with Helen Moon and the team at Eventwell.
