Mental Health Awareness - Lockdown 2.0

With the second lockdown soon upon us, we reach the final quarter of what has been a year like none in our living memory, nothing that we have history books on or a have recent comparisons of, It’s safe to say that 2020 will be a year always remembered, even if it’s one we would quite like to forget!

Without mentioning the dreaded 'C' word any further, it’s safe to say we are in for a rocky few months and there will be some knocks and bumps for us all to overcome. 

Having looked at myself in great detail and perhaps as part of my own self-reflection I think it is safe to say we have all experienced our own challenges over the past few weeks. The feeling of groundhog day has slowly crept in, which lead me to ask myself how do we deal with this imposter?

There is no easy way, but as I discussed with my own staff most recently, we must find ways of combating these unusual times we are living in. Through all my wisdom and let’s not forget I am also alien to the current climate, we must celebrate our small wins and draw the positives from our everyday lives. I’ve created an acronym that I feel helps deal with the day to day challenges. Please take as little or as much from this as you so wish.

M - MIND – we are not machines; we need to help each other.

E - EXERCISE – Make time for exercise, even if it’s 10 minutes a day, go for a stroll. Move!

N - NAVIGATE – Navigate your way through these coming months. Things will improve.

T - TALK – Communication is key, a problem shared is a problem halved. In essence talk.

A - AWARENESS – Take time for yourself, be aware of your own feelings, both good and bad.

L - LEARN – Learn about yourself, how you feel, lean on your friends, colleagues and family, remember we are in this together.

This isn’t going away, however there is good news on the horizon. We are finding a way and there are lots of positives. Whether it’s in business or at home we must overcome those hurdles and learn from what we know already. 

As always stay safe and let’s all work together to finish this year as best as we possibly can!

Best wishes,

Steve Blight - Managing Director (BPC Group)