Mental Health Awareness Week (23 – 29 September 2024), R U OK? Day (12 September 2024) and World Mental Health Day (10 October 2024) are just around the corner.
While action is important all year round, these dates provide a chance to spotlight support and foster connection. Find fresh ideas and tools to help you make the most of this opportunity.
From LinkedIn: Lessons from Rowing on wellbeing and teamwork for MHAW
This post was originally shared on LinkedIn, where I reflected on my time as a rower and the life-changing lessons I learned. These insights continue to shape my approach to mental health and wellbeing, both personally and professionally. They link perfectly to Mental Health Awareness Week:
[Sarah McGuinness] “I was a rower once and it taught me sharp lessons I’m using *a lot* in today’s challenging environment.
Before I get to that, back story, in my 20s, I went from a novice on the Yarra River, rowing into rubbish traps, to joining an elite club with Olympians – learning what real discipline looks like.
To be super clear, I was most definitely *not* Olympic material. I rowed in the Z-crew in an old wooden boat taking on water in the 8km race. And once sank a single boat in the middle of winter and went for a very chilly, dirty swim.
But at the height of my training, I was doing 11 full sessions a week. Up at 5 am, cycling 10km to the shed, rowing from 6-7:30 am, working all day, then back to the shed for another session before cycling home.
I was determined, and it was brutal. But here’s a super quick summary of what I learned:
- Recovery is key (saying that again for the people at the back): Your body and brain need (need!) time to recharge if you want to perform well. Having burned out in 2020, this lesson has taken me a while to take on board.
- True teamwork takes effort: I learned what it means to be a crew going through the highs and lows together, despite our differences. Patience, empathy, and determination are essential to work in sync.
- Train in seasons: Elite rowers have on-seasons and off-seasons. That’s how they reach peak performance. Why don’t we do that at work?
- Community matters: Despite differences and politics and all the joys of differences, oh boy can a strong community rally together.
- Finding flow is epic: I don’t know how to describe to you the feeling of a boat sitting up on the water, the clack of the oars, the run of the boat on the water, and the sun coming up over a promising day ahead. It’s a phenomenal feeling.
These big lessons have stayed with me and shaped how I approach mental health and wellbeing these days.
If these messages resonate and you’re looking to prioritise these in your workplace during Mental Health Awareness Week, drop me a line! Love to hear from you.
I’m here to deliver a great workshop for your team that’s bite-sized, practical, and full of good stories – rowing, work, and otherwise.“
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Looking for more?
Our workshops offer practical content designed for busy schedules. We focus on equipping leaders with essential tools to navigate uncertainty, manage cognitive overload, and handle emotional strain in a world of heightened workloads and job insecurity.
Sarah McGuinness, a recognised mental health speaker and Founder/CEO of ROW, shares her fascinating lived experience with burnout in this highly informative workshop. She delves into what it is, how to recognise it and prevent and overcome it.
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