As a Mindful Employer and a Disability Confident Leader, it’s important to us to make space to talk about mental health at work, and how we can both look after ourselves and each other. Today, our founder and director Paul Adderley is sharing some of his thoughts on the topic.
“What happened to my mental well-being when I turned left…
…I’m not talking politically.
What happened is that my well-being received a much-needed boost. A rush of endorphins flooded through me, my lungs filled with fresh air, and my eyes were captivated by the breathtaking views stretching from the Firth of Forth to the North Sea.
The short back story: over the dark winter months of 2023/24, I was absorbed with caring for my elderly parent, who had suddenly become unwell. Long days, coupled with many long journeys from Edinburgh to Worcestershire, the emotional labour of witnessing your parent’s abilities change daily; as well as leading Beyond Green, took its toll on my wellbeing. I had missed getting out on my bike for my regular remote working “cycle to work” route.
With my family safe and stable, normality began to return to life in Scotland, and I headed out on the bike, though clearly apprehensive about my lack of fitness. The circular route, which I have taken many times, is always clockwise, all right turns. On my latest outing, I stopped at a junction at the top of a hill and decided to turn left instead, to discover what was down a track.
Amongst my apprehension, a kind voice inside counselled me:
- Go as far as you feel comfortable
- You can always turn back
- Take your time; there is no rush, no destination
- There is no need to accomplish something today
With the freedom of not failing, my curiosity heightened. Every new turn a discovery, the vistas grew as I climbed a farm track to be welcomed by Shetland Ponies in a paddock. These ponies took me back to visiting Shetland in January 2018 with a friend, who had never seen such wee ponies. It provided the perfect photo opportunity to reconnect.
Upon getting home, I felt the overwhelming sense of joy of having been out in nature; the physical activity and discovery of small things. In over 15 years passing this ‘turn’, I had never turned left until last week. I would never have anticipated the impact such a simple turn could have on my wellbeing.
I am now trying to take this forward in my work, so that when faced with new challenges, perhaps, I’ll turn left more often to discover the wonders I could not foresee.
As Beyond Green’s Mental Health First Aider, I believe it is important to share wellbeing experiences to help normalise the conversation about our mental health, just as we do with our physical health, so we can attend to those little niggles and develop long term resilience. In the spirit of sharing, I am curious about what happens to others when taking a new left turn…
- If you have, what left turn did you take in your daily routine, or would you like to take?
- How did it improve your wellbeing?
- Has it encouraged you to be curious about trying new things?
Wishing you well,
Paul
Founder & Director, Mental Health First Aider