Putting yourself back together when the black dog comes knocking...

Last week was Mental Health Awareness Week, which inspired me to revisit the below blog. I actually wrote it a few weeks ago but I questioned whether I should publish it.

Last week saw thousands of people open up about their experiences with mental health, and it’s really good to see how things have changed over the years and that people feel more comfortable being more open and honest.  So here’s my two cents worth…

A few months ago, I was really struggling with my mental health but thanks to the support of friends, family and colleagues, things are looking up.

This horrible dark shadow infected every part of my life – my family, my relationships and my work. As someone who always strives to work hard and be the best press officer I can be, seeing my work slip was devastating. So I got medical assistance and told my boss – two of the hardest things I’ve ever done.

Mental health will affect one in four of us at some point in their lives, so I’ve jotted down a few points to consider if you‘re a PR professional (or indeed anyone) struggling with your mental well-being in the workplace.

This is entirely based on my own experience and I’m not a medical professional of any sort – this is meant to offer food for thought and a bit of support to anyone who may need it.

Tell your colleagues
When I told my colleagues what was going on, I was surprised to discover how many of them had had similar issues themselves. Initially I was terrified they would think less of me, but everyone was very supportive and together we looked at ways to make my working life easier.

Shout if you’re struggling
For me, the worst thing about mental ill-health is that there are no physical symptoms, unless you count uncontrollable weeping for no reason. There’s no limbs hanging off, no horrible cough, no nasty rash - you look just as you always did. This can make it hard for colleagues to know if you are struggling, unless you tell them. The hardest thing for me was opening up about what I was feeling and whether I needed to work from home for a day or two, but once it was out in the open, it all started to feel OK.  

When someone tells you they are struggling, don't be the person on the right!

Talk to your GP – when YOU’RE ready

This is a tricky one. I didn’t ask for medical help for a long time, but something clicked one day and I went – I’m so glad I did. This is probably something anyone dealing with a mental health issue should do, but it’s something you have to be ready for. No-one can force you to go until you’re ready. If you’re not ready, don’t worry, but when you are, just go – it can be the first step to getting better.

Be kind to yourself
I found this very difficult. Not only did I feel like I had no right to feel the way I did, I also felt I had let everyone down by letting it get as far as it did before I sought help. Hindsight is a beautiful thing, but you can’t spend your time wishing you had done anything differently. Imagine if your friend told you they were depressed or anxious, you would immediately rally around to support them and offer kind words of encouragement and hope. Try and do the same for yourself. Don’t beat yourself up – you’re only human.

And finally, always remember....

Supernatural Dean Winchester GIF from Supernatural GIFs

Review of Post-18 Education and Funding

As Part of my role as Events and Policy Assistant, I get to work on policy matters regarding Higher Education sector with our Policy Advisor. About 3 months ago the government launched a review of Post-18 Education and Funding. Subsequently, an independent panel has been formed to inform the review's work and the panel has issued a call for evidence to inform its work.

The review was launched on 21/03 and closed last week 2/05.

I enjoy policy work, a democratic evidence backed way of influencing rules and regulations of the government. The interesting thing is that everyone can provide evidence to the regular call for evidence by various departments of the government.

For instance, at the moment the Department of Education has issued a call for evidence for "evidence on issues connected with elective home education". I wonder how would I have turned out to be if I was homeschooled? Perhaps the next Stephen Hawking, haha.

Nonetheless, going back to the subject of the review, the University and Student Union have collaborated on this submission and jointly worked on it. The key take away are the below 5 recommendations:

1. Do not fundamentally overhaul the university funding system by cutting university income or introducing differential fees. Policy should continue to be driven by the objective of expanding high-quality post-18 education that meets the country’s skills needs and offers students the best possible experience. This requires sustainable funding.

2. Our students make clear that the greatest challenge for them is the cost of living. There should be a fundamental reform of the student maintenance system, which should include the introduction of a “living loan” sufficient to cover the cost of living and the restoration of non-repayable maintenance grants for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

3. The student loan system must be fair, and therefore should be designed so students incur no real rate of interest on their student loan.

4. There has been a significant decline in mature, part-time and nursing students, and intervention is needed to address this. The review panel must fully review the needs of these students in particular, and the University would be happy to support this process.

5. Prospective students must have a choice and be able to access all the information they need to make informed decisions about their post-18 education. Both the Government and Universities have an important role to play in achieving this.

Now, we wait and see what will the outcome of the review be, a trim around the edges or a complete overhaul as promised?