ask us anything: launch
This Tuesday, we launched our very first Ask Us Anything session. And we were floored by the inspiring advice, stories and human connections that we all shared over the space of an hour.
It’s a tough time out there. We’re all feeling it. But having over thirty of us in a webinar space, talking frankly to each other and sharing tips on how to feel ‘normal’ during these times was so valuable and so real.
This week, we focussed on mental health and the importance of inclusion and diversity in these trying times.
Our special guest, Liz Nottingham - Executive HR Director at R/GA and one of our most-loved Night School trainers - shared her top tips for keeping your mental wellbeing in the balance. We discussed encouraging everyone to share a one-word summary of how they’re feeling at the start of every session, to ‘name and normalise’ the reality that people arrive at meetings in different ways. We also worked through what is within our sphere of control, and how we can feel less overwhelmed by focusing on the here and now.
We thought about keeping a diary and jotting down what our mental landscape looks like today. It might be helpful to think about what you’re looking forward to each day. Yes, it might be planning your weekend with the highlight of a supermarket trip - but small wins, right?
With it being a safe space, we were lucky enough to have had two of our participants discuss their real work challenges right now and Lydia Amoah coached them live on the webinar. It was so powerful being able to hear others’ stories and struggles in these times. We came away feeling less alone.
We also discussed the importance of continuing our work in the I&D space. As a sector, we’ve worked hard over the last few years to keep inclusion at the forefront of the agenda. And we’ve noticed that while COVID-19 threatens to tighten I&D budgets, it’s simultaneously a real-life example of why it should remain top-of-mind. We can see the consequences for marginalised groups: research from The BBC shows that women and the under-25s will be the most affected by the economic impact. We’ve all seen lower-paid jobs revealed to be the ‘key workers’ of this country (supermarket shelf-stackers, delivery drivers, postal workers). This virus highlights - more than we have ever seen before - the importance of diversity and welcoming people who are different to us across nations in order to survive today, and return to normal life afterwards.
And - as Lydia Amoah, our Learning and Cross Cultural Director, reminded us -
remember to serve yourself in these times. Remember why you’re here, what you have to be proud of and why you deserve to have a seat at the table.
Read more takeaways from the webinar here.
We came away feeling refreshed and that our community had grown. We’re certainly living in strange times, but by coming together and meeting friends - both old and new - we felt like we’d grown our purpose. So, thanks for being part of this with us. And we can’t wait to see you again next week.
Find out more about coaching with Lydia Amoah here and register for our next Ask Us Anything webinar on 15 April here.
For more information on mental health support, we recommend NABS Advice Line, Mental Health UK, Time to Change and Mind.