Tag: wellbeing

How exercise helped support my wellbeing during lockdown….

This blog, written by our co-founder Claire, is a look back on how exercise has supported her during an unexpected lockdown.  It builds on her original blog from May 2020.

We at HWBInspiration have written several blogs on how being active has helped us:

  • Wyn, our guest HWB Ninja, has written about the head runs and how they have helped him be present and supported his mental health
  • Su has written about how becoming more active led to the discovery and successful treatment of breast cancer in 2018
  • I wrote about how exercise had boosted my wellbeing and is one of the 10 keys to happier living

9 months on, I have re-read my blog from May 2020 and I read it with a smile on my face.  At the time I didn’t know I was pregnant and oh how the world has changed in a wonderful way since welcoming Joseph into our lives last December (2020).

Back in May I wrote about how maintaining my exercise may be a challenge due to competing priorities. When I found out I was pregnant I decided to stop cycling and re-start running.  I set myself a goal to run at least 2 times per week.  I continued to run up week 36 of my pregnancy.  I became much slower in pace and had to shorten the distance that I ran, however, the sense of achievement I had in doing what I love to do was immense.  I recently took a look at my Strava account and realised that I clocked up over 220 miles of running from June – November.  I was the fittest I had ever been during my pregnancy, I was eating healthy, I wasn’t drinking alcohol and I was getting out running.  My overriding goal was to be physically and mentally healthy and fit to be able to look after the new little man in our lives when he arrived and it certainly paid off. 

Last weekend, 7 weeks after Joseph arrived and 10 weeks after having to hang up my trainers, I took a run in my local park with Joseph in the pram.   It was great, I loved it. Again, my pace was slow and my distance was reduced. However being able to run and talk to Joseph about the deer’s in the park was a moment I will always remember. I was present, I was with Joseph and it was amazing.

Writing to boost health and wellbeing – Try reaching for the pen rather than your digital device.

Writing to boost health and wellbeing – Try reaching for the pen rather than your digital device.

This blog from out HWBI Ninja, Rob Young and co-founder Su, considers how writing can boost your health and wellbeing.

Two perspectives – writing to improve health and wellbeing and writing to give voice and connect.

Next time that you feel under pressure or stressed it might be better to reach for the pen than reaching for the digital device.  The digital device may be a great displacement activity but may not be as good for your health and wellbeing.  There is a growing body of evidence that shows that writing can:

  • Encourage mindfulness
  • Help you to find perspective on difficult issues
  • Provide an opportunity for storytelling for self-exploration
  • Foster clarity and insight
  • Releases creative potential
  • Release anxiety or stress
  • Expand your creative abilities and work through blocks

A study by Robinson (2000) explores the connections between writing and wellbeing.  He discovered a number of studies that demonstrated how writing can have positive psychological and clinical benefits.  One study Robinson referenced, (Smyth, Stone et al 1999) found that participants who were asked to write about stressful life experiences for 3 consecutive days for a week reported 47% improvement in their clinical symptoms verses a control group who were asked to write about their general plans for the day, this group reported a 24% improvement.  Robinson goes on to explore if the quality of writing is also important….. perhaps for another blog in the future. 

Our Super HWBInspiration Ninja, Rob Young has brought his thoughts and experience of writing, not just for health and wellbeing, but also to give voice and communicate complex and often difficult subject matter.  He helps service users, clinicians and leaders find ways to communicated to engage, connect and no doubt to heal.  What follows is Rob’s account and hope you enjoy and take inspiration.

What good is a writer? By Rob Young

To answer that question, we must first ask ourselves, what writing is and more importantly, what it isn’t.

The ability to write is not a gift from on-high, it can be learned.  I have taught the craft of writing to a truly diverse range of participants from heart surgeons to ‘tower block kids’ some of whom were illiterate (the kids, that is!) yet their stories were sublime.

Writing is not something you take up when you retire. We do it every day, in texts, emails, notes, reports and so on.  Every time we speak, we are telling someone a story, yet we never learn the craft.

Writing is not just a hobby, a frivolous add-on once the ‘real work’ is done. It is our most efficient way of communicating what it is to be human. We can never truly relate to another person’s experience because even if we both stare at the same view; what we see is unique. The best that we can do is relate with the generic human condition and that is… a struggle.

We like to watch people struggle; it is how we learn to survive. From folk tales to Hollywood, lectures to books, the same format applies: the protagonist is dealt a problem, they investigate it, then find a solution. The old joke being, that in healthcare research, you don’t find an answer, you find ten more questions, but the basic format remains: we fail, we learn, we “grow some resilience”.

We watch our heroes fail and flounder, as they search for innovative ways to battle their demons. If their enemy is huge, they use speed. If their enemy is fast, they use stealth. And so on. They try, fail then try something else until they succeed. Time and time again its leftfield-thinking that saves the day. This valuable lesson is burned upon our retina as we all spend approximately 2 years of our lives watching movies, so the concept of innovation is embedded deep within our psyche. It is there for a reason, to help us survive.

As a writer, my ‘day job’ is helping people to communicate. The vast majority of my clients are intelligent, articulate professionals who are fluent in their craft. So why do they need me?

The questions they ask are often simple:

“Why don’t people come to my meetings?”

“Why is my PowerPoint so dull?”

“My specialist subject makes people wince but seriously, what can I do?”

Invariably, the answer lies with a fresh point of view.

Let’s take a look at the challenge. How is your meeting advertised? On what format? What is the hook? What will I gain from attending? These are all reasonable questions that require a perky response. If one way doesn’t work, then let’s try another. That’s all there is to it. We try, we fail, we try something else.

We have all sat through “Death by PowerPoint”, that sleep-inducing slideshow full of tiny text, meaningless pie-charts and 1980’s Clip Art, so please, let’s not do that. Let’s do something better.

What I find particularly interesting is the third question, because it is important. There are some issues in healthcare that are so dark, our natural response is to flinch, withdraw and ‘change channels’. It is understandable but it also a dangerous one because before we can even begin to solve the issue, we must open up a conversation. The challenge here is how to welcome people into a world that they find abhorrent.

Here are two examples of ways I’ve been able to help:

Giving voice

I met a clinician who did wonderful work helping victims of Female Genital Mutilation. Whenever she presented at conference, the audience were reticent, bracing themselves for an hour of upset and gore, while some did not attend at all.

The traditional way to approach this subject is to focus on the condition.  We decided to change that view. Working with the clinician, we refocussed her presentation to pay tribute to the shy, fragile women who she treats every day.  We told the story in their voices, not ours.  Excerpts of verbatim text were read from behind a hospital screen.  The images we revealed were of crisp white cotton sheets that spoke of innocence and dignity.  In everything we did, we did not once mention anything dark until humanity had been given the priority it deserved.

The subsequent performance reduced many veteran clinicians to tears and post-talk, the doctor was surrounded by many admirers praising her work.  Though my part was minimal, I felt an immense sense of pride that we had shown respect for the patients, the work and the audience in a new and innovative way.

Helping people to connect

Perhaps the greatest challenge I have faced as a writer was to communicate the concept of pain. It is something that you cannot see, hear, examine or compare as every pain is unique.

Professor Bernie Carter is a former Great Ormond Street nurse who has devoted her life to helping children with chronic complex pain issues. It is a subject so dark that it makes you wince just to think of it, so to open up a conversation is a challenge in itself.

As the concept of pain is so universal, we decided to concentrate on one particular moment in time – when a child with chronic complex pain is brought into A&E. In this moment, three separate languages come into play: the informed language of the clinician, the silence or scream of the child and her mother who speaks in metaphor, “She’s like a rabbit in the headlights / I can see the pain in her eyes”. The fact that these three language styles almost, but don’t quite connect is as much of an issue about communication as it is about healthcare.

Together, we looked at this moment in time from a plethora of viewpoints, from families to clinicians, charity workers to theologians, we even worked with a contortionist. We recorded their voices and played them via rotating mobiles in a huge, dark room, so the voices swirled above your head, almost but never quite connecting. We premiered our work in a theatre, not a conference, where again, many people were reduced to tears, not because we were gunning for sympathy but the fact that they had ‘got it’. They understood the challenge and agreed, wholeheartedly, that something must be done.  

It is a personal bugbear of mine that many people raise awareness without acting upon it.  I was determined that would not be the case with our pain project. Based upon the success of our presentation, we were able to acquire Arts Council funding to tour pain conferences as far afield as South Africa. We created downloadable brochures and the animation below:

What strikes me about the project, looking back upon it now, is another axis point, another moment in time – the one where art meets science, when the heart of the clinician meets the brain of the artist to clash, flirt and tango. It is a thrilling moment in time when magical things can happen.

I have worked with Su and Claire (my HWBInspiration Ninja colleagues) for many years now and have always been impressed by the fact that they see the arts as a liberating force, in healthcare and beyond.  They value the role that the arts can play in communicating issues from management to research, leadership to personal empowerment.  The stories they tell are told in a voice that is warm, welcoming and accessible to all and in today’s noisy world, but their voice rings true as clear and authentic.  If you have a challenge, they can help.

Thank you for reading and good luck in telling your story.

To contact or follow Rob

Twitter:   @R0BY0UNG       

Website:   http://robyoung.info

Email:   rob@robyoung.info

Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/rob.young.587

Instagram: rob.the.writer

References

Robinson, M. Writing well: health and the power to make images.  Journal of Medical Ethics: Medical Humanities.  2000: Vol 26. p79-84.

Smyth JM, Stone AA, Hurewitz A, Kael A. Effects of writing about stressful experiences on symptom reduction in patients with asthma or rheumatoid arthritis. Journal of the American Medical Association 1999;281:1304-9.

HWBInspiration co-founders, Su & Claire, are grateful to our Associate HWBI Ninjas for sharing their knowledge, skill and insights.

T = Trying Out

Trying Out

This blog, written by our co-fonder Claire, explores how creativity and experimentation boosts our health and wellbeing.

According to Action for Happiness one of the important ’10 keys to happier living’ is Trying Out “learning new things is stimulating and can help lift your mood…learning affects our well-being in lots of positive ways. It exposes us to new ideas and helps us stay curious and engaged. It also gives us a sense of accomplishment and helps boost our self-confidence and resilience”. During the Covid-19 pandemic, I have certainly learnt a lot.  I imagine a lot of us have had to try doing new things that we never expected we would have had to try.  So if learning is good for us, how can we continue to reap the benefits in the new normal? I want to consider two things that might help: how can we get into the mindset for learning and how can we maximise learning on the job.

Getting into the mindset

When I did my PhD, I focussed on exploring the role of emotions and cognitions in how we interpret and experience the world of work.  I found that progress toward and attainment of work goals was associated with happiness and positive affect such as enthusiasm (Harris, Daniels & Briner, 2010).  My interest in emotions has continued in my role as coach, facilitator and trainer and was rekindled when I began to design workshops on creativity. I was particularly interested in Barbara Fredrickson’s broaden and build theory. In her 1998 article, she talked about different positive emotions, their precursors and behavioural outcomes.  For example, she talks about play eliciting joy and joy eliciting approach behaviours. She concluded that positive emotions shared a pattern, and it was different from the one that was elicited by negative emotions – in other words positive emotions are not simply the absence of negative emotions and vice versa.

Negative emotions lead to specific action tendencies; thus, they narrow emotions to what Fredrickson calls the momentary thought-action repertoire. Negative emotions tend to occur in threatening situations and narrow our options due to our evolutionary fight or flight response.  Positive emotions have a broadening effect on the momentary thought-action repertoire: They allow us to discard automatic responses and instead look for creative, flexible, and unpredictable new ways of thinking and acting (Fredrickson 2004). So positive emotions broaden our options and allow for more creative cognitive processing.

So, learning new things can elicit positive emotions and if we are experiencing positive emotions, we are more open to learning.

When I work with teams or delegates on programmes, I do a few things to help people tap into positive emotions before learning:

  • Ask ‘take out a piece of paper and write down everything that’s distracting you right now, and put the paper in your bag, I will remind you at lunch and at the end of the day to review that piece of paper’
  • Ask for ‘one good thing that’s happened over the past month that you are proud about’ (Frederickson and Losada 2005, suggests that we need to experience 3:1 positive to negative emotions to flourish).

Learning on the job

Back when I did my BSc in Psychology, I did my dissertation on flow “optimal psychological state that people experience when engaged in an activity that is both appropriately challenging to one’s skill level, often resulting in immersion and concentrated focus on a task. This can result in deep learning and high levels of personal and work satisfaction” (Csíkszentmihályi, 1996). Flow is an optimal state for learning, as it is where skill level and challenge level of a task are at their highest. This creates an opportunity for learning and intense focus, where learners can even feel that they lose track of time because they are so immersed in the task.  If we think about work, urgency has tended to trump the luxury of learning, aligned to the important but not urgent pile. According to a recent Harvard Business Review article knowledge workers carve out just five minutes of formal learning each day.  Bersin and Zao Sanders (2019) go on to introduce a new idea called ‘Learning in the flow of work’.  This recognises that for ‘learning to really happen, it must fit around and align itself to working days and working lives’.  They recommend some ways to enhance flow at work:

  • Practice mindfulness – be aware and be present as you go about your daily job, inquire about what colleagues are doing, how and why
  • Maintain a too learn list – write down a list of concepts, thoughts, practices, and vocabulary you want to explore, book mark them in your browser, and add them to your list
  • Put dedicated learning time into your diary
  • Subscribe to a number of high quality newsletters, publications
  • Contribute to a learning channel where work actually happens – e.g. teams, slack, sharepoint – create one if your company doesn’t have one.

They cite Helen Smyth, Group Digital Learning and Design Manager at Sainsbury’s Too often, learning opportunities and technology deployments are developed based on what centralized groups think would be useful, or on what is possible, rather than on what would actually enable someone to do something better or differently at work. To overcome this, it’s important that we spend more of our time as learning professionals understanding the practical realities of daily work for people, and ensuring that our products and services are in tune with those realities.”

Today has never been more important to protect and maintain our wellbeing.  As one of the keys to happier living, our ability to keep learning in the new normal will be key to adapting and bringing about a better future.  

References

Bersin, J & Zao Sanders, M (2019).  Making learning a part of everyday work. Harvard Business Review, Sept 19.

Csíkszentmihályi, M. (1996). Flow and the psychology of discovery and invention. New Yprk: Harper Collins. Chicago

Fredrickson BL. (1998). What Good Are Positive Emotions?. Rev Gen Psychol. 2 (3): 300‐319.

Fredrickson BL. (2004). The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 359(1449): 1367‐1378.

Fredrickson BL, Losada MF (2005). Positive affect and the complex dynamics of human flourishing. Am Psychol60 (7): 678–86.

Harris, C., Daniels, K & Briner, R. (2003). A daily diary study of goals and affective well‐being at work. Journal of Occupational and Organisational Psychology. 3 (76): 401-410.

HWBInspiration co-founders, Su & Claire, are grateful to our Associate HWBI Ninjas for sharing their knowledge, skill and insights.

E = Exercise and the 10 keys to happier living

This blog is one in a series exploring the 10 Keys to Happier Living. Our co-founder Claire reflects on how exercise boosts our health and wellbeing.

According to Action for Happiness one of the important ’10 keys to happier living’ is Exercising “regular activity will provide an endorphin boost and increase confidence”.  During the lock down we have seen the rise in popularity of The Body Coach, Joe Wicks (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAxW1XT0iEJo0TYlRfn6rYQ) encouraging us to work out at home. We are permitted to ‘take one form of exercise a day, for example a run, walk, or cycle – alone or with members of your household’. 

The benefits 

There are, as we know, many benefits to exercise, according to the NHS website, it can reduce your risk of major illnesses, such as heart diseasestroketype 2 diabetes and cancer by up to 50% and lower your risk of early death by up to 30%.

Another benefit is to our mental health.  I was struck by a blog a colleague Wyn Jones wrote for us (https://www.hwbinspiration.com/missing-the-gorge-an-insight-into-being-present-and-noticing-in-the-moment-guest-blog-by-wyn-jones-hwbassociateninja/) he talked about going for a ‘head run’ to clear his mind and help his mental health. Aerobic exercises, including jogging, swimming, cycling, walking, gardening, and dancing, have been proved to reduce anxiety and depression (Guszkowska, 2004). 

My route to exercise 

I used to be a couch potatoe, I never liked sport at school and this extended into adulthood. My business partner began running and I decided to join in, that was 13 years ago.  I enjoyed running and still do. About 5 years ago my husband got a road bike and I decided to join him.  About 2 years ago my business buddy started running and that got me back into running…You can see there is a pattern here…  

I have decided to cycle more during lock down, it was a conscious decision and I am enjoying it (the weather helps!). Here are some of the things that help me:

  • Set a goal and monitor progress – When I say cycle ‘more’, I didn’t set myself a goal in terms of the number of miles, but I did set myself a goal that I wanted to cycle 4-5 days a week for a month (which was April, now extended to May).  I post my cycling on the free Strava app (https://www.strava.com), so I can see my progress through the week and it holds me to account/motivates me by the fact that others can see my progress.
  • Plan when to go – I know I am more motivated to exercise in the morning, so I try to go before work if possible. Each week I plan what days I am going to cycle and stick to the plan (e.g. Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat or Sun)
  • Get your gear on – On the days I know I am going to cycle, I get up, showered and put my cycling gear on I don’t think about it, I just get dressed – this motivates me to get up and go.  I find it much harder and I am less motivated if I get dressed and then have to change into my cycling gear later in the day. 
  • Real or virtual buddy – I am lucky that I have a cycle buddy, my husband, so on the days when I am not feeling like going, my buddy motivates me.  I also have virtual buddies on Strava, I can see when they have been out and that also motivates me to cycle or run. Strava also segments your route and gives you virtual medals (bronze, silver and gold) which is motivating. 
  • Mix up my routes – I have spent time making up routes to cycle and uploaded them onto my sat nav.  I only really have four routes, but I also do my routes backwards so mix it up.  The routes vary in length and gradient. 
  • Track how I feel – I do actively notice how I feel before, during and after cycling.  Sometime I am really not up for it and I remind myself it could be one of those least expected days (I recently watch the Netflix series about the Movistar cycling team, which is well worth a watch https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81130094). Usually after cycling I feel a sense of achievement for going which is motivating in itself (I can also feel tired which is ok too). I actively try to ‘take notice’ as I cycle, this time of year I see baby lambs, llamas, wisteria, and we have a village which hosts a scarecrow competition in May, well worth a look (https://lovegoostrey.com/announcing-the-2020-goostrey-scarecrow-competition/).

The challenge going forward 

The key for me will be to continue to maintain a healthy level of exercise beyond the lockdown, whatever that might look like.  I know the benefits for me are immense, I will need to find a way to give myself permission to prioritise my wellbeing above work and that’s always been a bit of a struggle for me! Which got me thinking about how I can coach myself to maintain my behaviour.  

Model of behaviour change and maintenance 

Back in 2007 I got an opportunity to work with colleagues to design a health trainers programme.  Core to this was the Transtheoretical Model of Behaviour Change which was developed by Prochaska & DiClemente in the 70’s. The model provides a blueprint for changing health behaviours such as health, fitness, wellbeing.  It identifies five stages people move through : pre contemplation (‘I wont’, ‘I cant’), contemplation (‘I May’), preparation (‘I will’), action (‘I am’), maintenance (‘I still am’).  I found a really helpful article linking this to coaching (https://downloads.lww.com/wolterskluwer_vitalstream_com/sample-content/9780781772624_Moore/samples/MooreSampChap3.pdf).  So for me in the maintenance stage there are some things I can do:

  • Stay connected to the value of cycling/running in serving my vision and goals
  • Set new goals that are interesting and attainable 
  • Maintain my social networks of people who also enjoy cycling/running
  • Remind myself of the motivation to take up cycling/running and discover new motivators 
  • Share my commitments with others
  • Be aware of lapses and identify early recognition and rapid response to get back on track
  • Avoid judging myself 

Guszkowska M. (2004). Effects of exercise on anxiety, depression and mood. Psychiatr Pol (38), 611–620.

HWBInspiration co-founders, Su & Claire, are grateful to our Associate HWBI Ninjas for sharing their knowledge, skill and insights.

R = Relating:  Reaching out and fostering relationships with others at work is good for our wellbeing.

R = Relating: Reaching out and fostering relationships with others at work is good for our wellbeing.

This blog, written by our co-founder Su, is part of a series where our HWBInspiration team reflect on The 10 Keys to Happier Living. Each Key helps to boost our health and wellbeing. Su, co-founder of HWBInspiration shares her thoughts on the importance of work relationships.

What comes to mind when you think about ‘best friends’?  For me, it’s thinking back to school days when I was in the ‘4th Year’ of junior school.  I was 11, not quite at senior school and my best friend at the time was Juliet.  We would go off in a pair (I wasn’t keen on 3’s) and have ‘our time’ together, playing various games, using our imaginations, sharing stories, talking about what we did the night before, acting out different make believe scenarios and sharing what we were looking forward to next week.  As a child of the 70’s (Generation X), quite a lot of our conversations revolved around:

  • Who we liked best – The Osmond’s or Jackson 5?
  • What we had read in ‘Jackie’ or ‘My Guy’
  • What we were allowed to watch on TV – Sweeny, Star Trek, Starsky and Hutch
  • What shoes we wanted – platforms or heels
  • What lessons we liked – English, PE, history, science (I was never one for maths)
  • How were we going to get our homework in on time when it was such a boring task?
  • What it would be like in ‘senior school’?
  • All the things we would ‘put right’ when we were ‘in charge’

In my formative years, I wasn’t aware of how important it was to have a sense of belonging, to have a network of trusted friends, a set of strong family relationships and people that I could turn to for support when things weren’t going well.  If anything, I took it all for granted.  I now appreciate how fortunate I was growing up. 

As I’ve got older, with more life experience, I am more conscious and aware of how important relationships are to us as human beings in helping us to develop, grow and survive.  Don’t get me wrong, I had my fair share of ‘playground’ disagreements and that still continues now, although I managed them better (most of the time).  I do notice that during lock down my ‘dark side’ or overplayed strengths need more attention and have a trusted friend who will feedback on that.

Friendships in the World of Work

I enjoy the company of others, I like to connect as it helps me to think, build on ideas and I get a lot of personal satisfaction from spending time with others.  And I think I’m generally good at fostering positive relationships. 

I have often heard colleagues and peers say ‘I spend more time with my work colleagues than I do with my family and friends’.  Which poses an interesting dilemma for all of us.  I was ‘schooled’ to believe, like many, that the world of work and the world outside work needed to be kept separate.  This poses real dilemma’s as it can sometimes be difficult to maintain those boundaries and, in the past, I found myself crossing this ‘imaginary’ line. 

An article by Gallup (2018) explores the issue of work friendships in more depth and discovered that the question, ‘Do you have a best friend at work?’ had the strongest reactions from their clients for number of reasons e.g. an expectation that you leave your non work self at the door, sharing ‘chit chat’ and lunch breaks was detrimental to productivity etc.  Interestingly, what they found was that having a ‘best friend at work’ leads to better performance.  The data from their database suggested that 2 out of 10 U.S. employees strongly agree that they have a best friend at work.  They hypothesis that if that ratio moved to 6 out of 10, organisations could see fewer safety incidents, more engaged customers, more engaged staff and higher profits.

The benefits of a business buddy

Whilst it is important to manage boundaries in the workplace, especially in relation to accountability and performance, how much better for all of us if we opened ourselves up to the legitimacy of friendship at work.  I can speak from personal experience.  The person I enjoy working with the most, has over the years become not only my best work friend, also one of my very few personal best friends.  That doesn’t mean it gets too cosy or that we don’t challenge each other.  If anything, it’s the opposite.  We can truly:

  • Be open and honest,
  • Challenge and respect each other’s perspectives,
  • Disagree without falling out,
  • Appreciate and play to our strengths,
  • Hold each other up when the other is struggling,
  • Let off steam and not feel judged.

It’s not a walk in the park, we work at it and I’m all the better for my ‘best friend’ at work relationship.  You know who you are and THANK YOU!!  I’m a better person (mostly).

What’s your experience?

Why We Need Best Friends at Work Mann. A, 2018 https://www.gallup.com/workplace/236213/why-need-best-friends-work.aspx

HWBInspiration co-founders, Su & Claire, are grateful to our Associate HWBI Ninjas for sharing their knowledge, skill and insights.

G = Giving – Why does it make us happy?

G = Giving – Why does it make us happy?

This blog is first in our series relating to the 10 Keys to Happier Living which reflects on how giving can boost our health and wellbeing.

In this time of ‘lock down’ I’ve been reflecting on a number of things, not least my own health and wellbeing.  Talking to colleagues, family and friends we have started to share more about what is important to us, what we are grateful for and during these challenging times, what gives us joy.  Often, it’s the very simple things that surface:

  • Having the time to have family meals together, eating, talking and reflecting on the day
  • Being able to connect to family and friends more frequently than perhaps we would ordinarily
  • Taking part in collective activities with family, friends and work colleagues – who knew that ‘Virtual Pub Quiz’ would take off in the way that it has.  It’s become a highlight of the week for many.
  • Having more time to do the things that help us to have space to be ‘mindful’, gardening, walking, painting, other household tasks that we’ve put off
  • Letting our minds wonder

One of the things I notice in myself is that ‘giving’ brings me happiness.  Over the years, I notice that I get that warm fuzzy feeling when I give, more so than when I receive.  It’s no surprise once I began to look into why that it is….. ‘common sense’ in so many ways and as I remind myself frequently, it only becomes ‘common sense’ once you understand more.

What’s the science behind it?

There is much written about giving and generosity.  Researchers have had rich debates about the extent to which humans are innately generous, a great deal of research strongly suggests that generosity has deep evolutionary, biological and developmental roots.  Much of the research also suggest that human generosity might be deeply embedded in human behaviour and plays a vital role in our personal well-being and our survival.  A systematic review (Allen.S 2018) draws together some of the key research findings and highlights:

  • Positive effects on givers e.g. wellbeing
  • Individual factors linked to generosity e.g. feelings of empathy, compassion
  • Social and cultural drivers e.g. expectations of reciprocity, having strong social networks may influence generosity, parenting can cultivate generosity

The act of giving and charitable behaviour comes in many forms and during COVID19 there have been so many examples:

  • Tens, possibly hundreds of thousands of volunteers coming forward to help those that are being shielded – offering to phone those that are isolated, undertaking tasks such as shopping and picking up essentials
  • Colonel Tom Moore 100th Birthday sponsored walk to raise money for the NHS
  • Different businesses donating food and gifts to front line staff
  • Local communities coming together to support key workers
  • Free resources and learning being made available to individuals working from home

All of us ‘give’ in some way.  Often, it will be simple things, kind words, helping someone out when you notice they are struggling, random acts of kindness to friends, families and colleagues.  Doing something for complete strangers seems to be the ‘norm’ in our current COVID19 bubble and the world feels a better place for it.  It seems now more than ever we need to be generous in our thinking as well as in the way we behave.  A study into the benefits of charitable behaviour (Anik. L et al. 2009) highlights that people that give more are happier and happier people tend to give more.  Feels like a virtuous circle to me.

Looking for inspiration

Action for Happiness https://www.actionforhappiness.org provides ideas, insights, training (e-mail based coaching programme) and resources.  Something for everyone if you are looking for some inspiration.  What will you give today?

S, May. The Science of Generosity, White Paper, Greater Good Science Centre 2018 https://ggsc.berkeley.edu/images/uploads/GGSC-JTF_White_Paper-Generosity-FINAL.pdf

Feeling Good about Giving: The Benefits (and Costs) of Self-Interested Charitable Behavior Anik, L., Aknin, L B., Norton, M I., Dunn, E W. 2009 https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Publication%20Files/10-012_0350a55d-585b-419d-89e7-91833a612fb5.pdf

HWBInspiration co-founders, Su & Claire, are grateful to our Associate HWBI Ninjas for sharing their knowledge, skill and insights.

Impact of COVID19 on personal morals and ethics – what do we need to do to support key workers and decision makers to reduce the negative impact of moral injury?

What is moral injury?

The concept of the moral injury originated in the work of the psychiatrist Johnathan Shay (1994, 2002, 2014) who treated armed service personnel traumatised by experiences where either they, or their leaders, violated their values. Potentially morally injurious experiences (PMIE’s) include perpetrating, failing to prevent, bearing witness to, or learning about acts that transgress deeply held moral beliefs and expectations, which can result in psychological distress or moral injury (Litz et al. 2009).  Moral injury is often associated with strong moral emotions related to the event, including guilt, anger and disgust, and can also lead to negative thoughts about oneself or others, for example, “I am a terrible person,” and can lead to distress and psychological difficulties (Farnsworth et al, 2014).  Moral injury can impact upon work and social life.  It has been linked to increased difficulties coping with occupational stressors and difficulties with authority figures. 

What can we learn from research into this area?

Research into moral injury is still in its infancy, however a recent systematic review and meta-analysis found that moral injury is not unique to any particular profession (Williamson et al, 2018). I had not heard the term before I began listening to webinars about how COVID-19 is placing significant demand on key workers. Victoria Williamson, Dominic Murphy and Neil Greenberg from King’s College London have recently written an editorial in the latest edition of Occupational Medicine Journal ‘Front-line key workers, such as healthcare providers and emergency first responders but also other non-healthcare-related staff (e.g. social workers, prison staff), may be especially vulnerable to experiencing moral injuries during this time’.  It’s a compelling read and helpful to those of us that work with key workers and decision makers in a coaching capacity.

When might people experience moral injury?

In the editorial, the authors highlight that key workers are at increased risk of moral injury if:

  • The life of a vulnerable person is lost.  
  • When workers don’t feel supported or that leaders haven’t taken responsibility.  
  • When staff are not prepared for the emotional consequences of the decisions they are making.
  • If other traumatic events occur at the same time such as a personal bereavement.
  • If they have a lack of social support.

The authors are equally keen to point out that exposure to PMIEs does not automatically result in moral injury. 

How can leaders, teams and individuals reduce the risk or impact of moral injury?

The authors highlight the following recommendations which may be beneficial for individuals and teams to consider:

  • Be aware of the possibility of potentially morally injurious events and each other to develop psychological preparedness.
  • Encourage team members to seek informal support from managers, colleagues, chaplains and other welfare providers.
  • Advise team members to seek professional help at an early point, especially if they are having trouble functioning. 
  • Leaders and managers need to check in with their teams at regular points to provide support and to signpost the team members and others to services if needed.
  • Employers should not use debriefing techniques or psychological screening, but they should facilitate team cohesion as well as make informal as well as professional support available.
  • Events need to be frankly discussed and efforts made to ensure that staff understand potential impact on their mental health, whilst ensuring the are also aware that psychological growth can also be expected as staff ‘do their best’ under challenging conditions.

It has been extremely helpful to understand a little more about how PMIE may impact key workers.  The practical recommendations outlined by Williamson et al are also particularly helpful and give some insight into the role of leaders and teams.  They also recognise that not all managers will feel comfortable in having ‘psychologically informed conversations’ with their staff, or possess such skills, and that it’s important that others are available to step into this role, to check in with staff on a regular basis. 

References

Farnsworth JK, Drescher KD, Nieuwsma JA, Walser RB, Currier JM. (2014).  The role of moral emotions in military trauma: implications for the study and treatment of moral injury. Rev Gen Psychol, 18(4). 

Litz, B.T., Stein, N., Delaney, E., Lebowitz, L., Nash, W.P., Silva, C. and Maguen, S. (2009) ‘Moral injury and moral repair in war veterans: A preliminary model and intervention strategy’, Clinical Psychology Review, 29(8), 695-706.

Shay, J. (1994) Achilles in Vietnam : combat trauma and the undoing of character, New York: Atheneum ; Oxford : Maxwell Macmillan International.
Shay, J. (2002) Odysseus in America : combat trauma and the trials of homecoming, New York: Scribner.
Shay, J. (2014) ‘Moral Injury’, Psychoanalytic Psychology, 31(2), 182-191.

Williamson, V., Stevelink, S., & Greenberg, N. (2018). Occupational moral injury and mental health: Systematic review and meta-analysis. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 212(6), 339-346. 

Williamson,V., Murphy, D., Greenberg, N. (2020). COVID-19 and experiences of moral injury in front-line key workers, Occupational Medicine [https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqaa052]

Who looks out for the Senior Leaders and what can we do to support their Mental Health? – guest blog by Lou Harris #HWBAssociateNinja

Who looks out for the Senior Leaders and what can we do to support their Mental Health? – guest blog by Lou Harris #HWBAssociateNinja

This is the question that I have been asked several times and most recently at a Health and Wellbeing Event, where I shared my lived experience. When I started to consider this, I found quite a stark headline:

“Two-Thirds of business leaders have suffered from mental health conditions including anxiety, stress and depression with work often cited as a contributor to this” – Bupa 2018

Bupa’s study conducted with 1556 global business leaders found:

  • 58% of business leaders say that in their position it’s hard to talk about mental health
  • 1 in 4 people feel less support for mental health issues since becoming more senior
  • Sufferers fear that talking about mental health would affect perceptions of their capabilities and career prospects

So, who looks out for the Senior Leaders, and what can we do to support their Mental Health? I posed this same question at the start of the year to a prominent Professor and leader in wellbeing, and he too came to a similar conclusion. He found that there was literature that explores the impact of leaders on follower wellbeing. However, there was nothing that focuses on the support that is specific to leaders.  

While there appears to be an overwhelming lack of literature, I found some reference to:

  • Challenging perceptions around mental health and leadership
  • Ensuring there are services available to support senior people
  • Creating mentally healthy open workplace cultures where senior staff feel able to access support
  • Business leaders sharing their own experiences which can help to remove the stigma

It got me thinking about my own experience in an attempt to try and find some answers.

As you will know from my previous blogpost (https://www.hwbinspiration.com/lived-experience-blog-by-lou-harris/), I resigned from my job as a Managing Director. I didn’t realise or admit to it for a very long time, but I was suffering from severe anxiety and had been for about two years before resigning. The organisation I left had a clear commitment to mental health, visible leadership and support services that were accessible, fast and efficient and this created a culture of openness and acceptance which helped me find the courage to acknowledge I needed help and seek support. Despite the support I received (which was brilliant), I felt I could no longer continue working as a senior leader. I was absolutely exhausted. I felt unable to shoulder the responsibility that comes with a senior leadership role and unable to continue as a good leader should protecting the mental health and wellbeing of others when my own mental health needed more dedicated time and attention. 

So why did it take me so long to do something? I was reluctant first and foremost to acknowledge that I was struggling with my mental health and secondly to ask for help. Why was this? We will all have our reasons. For me (not justified) I felt like I had to wear an “I am doing great” badge constantly. I was the leader, and people looked to me for direction and support, I couldn’t possibly acknowledge I was struggling and ask for help because people would question my ability as a leader. So, I basically tried to hide the fact I was struggling. When I did finally acknowledge and seek support and take time out while the side effects of my medication subsided and returned to work, the response was quite overwhelming. My absence due to my mental health had not negatively impacted on people’s views of my ability as a leader; in fact, it almost seemed to encourage more open conversations with my team and colleagues. I believe this was because first and foremost, they saw me as a human being. 

So, is looking out and supporting senior manager any different to what we would do for anyone else in our organisations? I have concluded that the answer to this question based on my own experience is NO. I agree that it is essential to challenge perceptions around mental health and leadership, provide accessible services, and if leaders feel able and want to disclose it can have a tremendously positive impact on an organisations culture. The organisational culture was absolutely at the heart of giving me the courage as a senior leader to acknowledge I was struggling and seek support. As we know, it is leaders who create the culture of an organisation. And so, maybe we need to pay more considerable attention to the role of Boards? How often do Boards consider Mental Health and Wellbeing? What culture are they creating for the Senior Leadership team around mental health?

Similarly, I believe that colleagues and peers can play a vital role. We often work as senior leadership teams on some of the most challenging and wicked issues our organisations face, we come into regular contact, we share experiences, and this puts us in a great position to look out for one another. So, as Board members, leaders, colleagues, peers and human beings let’s look out for and support one another, as doing so could have a significant impact on our colleagues’ lives. 

Aspiration vs reality in workplace mental health – guest blog by Lou Harris #HWBAssociateNinja

Aspiration vs reality in workplace mental health – guest blog by Lou Harris #HWBAssociateNinja

Thank you to everyone who supported my first ever blog, it has inspired me to continue to writing and sharing my journey in the hope will help others to reach out and seek support if they need it and encourage leaders and managers to take action around mental health.  I recently read a report by Business in the Community.  They found a gap between aspiration and reality for workplace mental health:

  • 58% of senior leaders and board members think their organisation supports its staff but:
  • 42% of employees with no managerial responsibility believe that their organisation supports its staff and:
  • 20% of employees feel that their manager is not concerned about their wellbeing (BITC Mental Health at work report 2018).

In my experience…

Having spent the last 16 years working as and alongside managers and leaders I have been reflecting on this and what it was that helped me when I was struggling with my mental health while in work and crucially came to the conclusion that leadership is absolutely key because it creates the workplace culture.  I personally:

  • Felt able to disclose and discuss my mental health with my manager and other senior leaders in the organisation (which being honest was slightly scary – but provided a firm basis of understanding and trust when I did need support)
  • Felt able (for a period of time) to manage my mental health through support that was easily accessible and available. Being able to access counselling within 2 days was one factor that enabled me to continue in my role for a further 6 months (My wait for Counselling from the NHS was 4 months for computer based and 8 months for face to face and this is not a criticism in anyway, I will always be grateful for the services and support I have received)
  • Retained my dignity and respect from the continued belief I received in me as a person

And this was created by leaders in the organisation.  Because when you have leaders:

  • who demonstrate time and commitment to wellbeing and mental health
  • who make themselves available and accessible to talk to about it
  • who lead and champion wellbeing and mental health initiatives
  • who by their own behaviours lead by example and show it is acceptable and more than that important that you have a work life balance
  • who ensure that there is a focus on prevention and support is available 
  • who are aware of warning signs, confident to talk about mental health and aware of and can access organisational support available
  • who genuinely care because they ask you how you are doing and listen to you

…. it makes a huge difference

….it creates a culture of openness, acceptance and trust. 

This may not come easy to some of us and if I am being honest it didn’t to me (I wasn’t great at the work life balance – my own decision, drive and perfectionism) …. that is why I believe it’s so important that we:

  • Increase awareness and understanding of mental health across the whole organisation (not just senior leaders and boards)
  • Help develop leaders and managers confidence to be able to have discussions about Mental Health

So, on National Stress Awareness day, what can you commit to doing in your organisation to close the gap between aspiration and reality?