It's not up t'north

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My wife and I have two ‘Basil holidays’ a year.

For new readers, Basil is our dog – a springer spaniel (who occasionally pops up on my social media).

Every year, we take Basil away twice – once up t’north to Yorkshire (aka God’s own country), and once down south to Cornwall.  Last month (which also coincided with my birthday), we went down south.

Rock and roll

We spent a week in a cottage in a place called Rock, in Cornwall.

My wife and I can work remotely.  Every morning, we'd be up at 6am and roll onto the beach with Basil from our rented cottage by 7am.  After this, we would come back and work while Basil watched us, patiently.   And then, in the afternoon, we’d roll back on to the beach.

Basil ran around in the sand, jumped in and out of the water, and generally lived up to his springer nature.  He was living his best life.

It’s not easy

This point of this blog isn’t about going on holiday – it’s about what the time away represents.

As you can imagine, I’m a big advocate for a healthy work-life balance, (being an independent HR consultant) and the week was perfect for this.

It’s something I encourage all of my retained clients to advocate in their workplaces too.

We had some ‘us’ time; got plenty of fresh air; had a change of scenery; and got a lot of work done.  For us, it was a perfect blend.

Running a business is not easy at all – and even harder if you are an employer.  It’s very hard to switch off, and you’re always thinking about your business, even when you’re away from it.

Tha’s got nowt to worry about

I have been in business for a few years, and I often talk about the highs and lows.

Of course, when I talk about the highs, they are fleeting.  However, it still leads people to say (or think) ‘you’ve got nothing to worry about’ (or the northern alternative above).

But when I talk about the lows, it resonates with people.

I still don’t know if this will all fall down around my ears.  I have a measure of success and Iwork hard to make sure everything goes as well as possible – but it doesn’t always.

Mackenzie Phillips once said:

“You never know what people are dealing with behind closed doors.  You only know what you see or what you think you see.”

There is so much more to someone’s life than what they post on social media.  Please don’t always assume that someone else has ‘nothing to worry about’.

Look after yourself… and each other

I recently did a talk for my networking group – BNI Momentum in Solihull – about mental health.

As a HR consultant, I talk to my retained clients about having a positive workplace culture – a place where your team feels comfortable to be open and honest, and where they feel supported.

In my presentation, I used Mackenzie’s quote above, and I also talked about Liam Payne – a member of the boy band One Direction.

Liam seemed to have it all – he dated Cheryl Cole; had a child; plenty of money; fame and success; and a lot of friends.

He looked like he was leading the perfect life.  But just after his death (he tragically fell from a hotel balcony), the toxicology report suggested he had a mix of alcohol and anti-depressants in his blood.

In my presentation, I stressed the importance of looking after yourself – as well as looking out for each other.  If you know someone needs support, or if they reach out to you, you need to be there for them.

It’s okay to not be okay – but no one should have to deal with being ‘not okay’ alone.

Work-life balance

If you are an employer, do you actively encourage your team members to take time off?  If so, are they taking an extended period, rather than a day here and there?

Similarly, are you taking time away from work – the office, the workplace, the emails, and everything else?

Having a healthy work-life balance can prevent and mitigate the symptoms of burnout, anxiety and stress.

As many studies have shown, having time away from work can lead to increased productivity, increased happiness levels, better relationships and, in many cases, personal growth.

So, my social media posts about taking Basil on holiday may seem like ‘throw-away content’, but I talk about these things to make others think about their mental health, workplace culture, and work-life balance.

It’s good to talk

If you would like to discuss your organisational culture and how conducive it is for a positive work-life balance – both for you and your team – then please do not hesitate to get in touch to see how me and the AJB HR team can support you and your business.

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