Take a breath.

Tomorrow, Friday 22nd, the  byrne·dean team are taking a mental health day. We are taking a breath. We won't be at our kitchen tables or in our makeshift office / sheds in the garden for any reason other than to eat our (long) lunch or find our deckchairs ...! 

It is not a work day. It is not a holiday. It is a day to be kind to  ourselves. Some of the team are planning a long bike ride, one member is baking, another is looking forward to walking with a great friend. It doesn't matter what it is as long as it is restorative.

At this time, more than ever, we need to be conscious of the impact the busy world has on us. That world seems to have got smaller and larger at the same time these last few weeks. We've receded into our homes but we've brought the workplace with us. Bringing our "whole selves to work" has taken on new meaning .... perhaps it is more accurate to say that we have brought our work to ourselves. And it's tough isn't it? The boundaries get blurred easily.

We've been supporting our clients by delivering a variety of programmes that help their people ensure they are getting the demarcation they need to perform effectively. Whilst not every employer can give its team a mental health day, there is so much that can be done to alleviate the pressure, through  expectation setting and management, supporting proper rest breaks and creating individual employee working patterns that work for the business and the team member. And the feedback we have been getting is that it is really helping.

So in mental health awareness week, which focuses this year on celebrating kindness, please do try to take some time for yourselves - be kind to yourselves. Take a breath.