Creating a Mentally Healthy Small Business Keynote by Leanne Faulkner Summary notes prepared by Karen Harmsen Leanne Faulkner, a small business mental health advocate, spoke about red flags for mental health that can be observed in yourself and others. She challenged us to recognise these flags and delve deep into recognising the real stressors and then be brave about making positive change. H – Habits – Focus on improving your basic habits . O – Observation. Self-observation in times of discomfort – “What’s going on for me with this?” P – Power – What makes us feel powerful at work? E – Engagement – Find your wing man for your wellness team.
Key Take Aways 1. We risk increasing our Allostatic Load* if we don’t address the stressors in our world and the negative effect is increased over time. *Allostatic Load - "the wear and tear on the body" which accumulates as an individual is exposed to repeated or chronic stress. The signs of increased Allostatic Load are Unclear thinking, inability to make decisions, denial obsession, changes in behaviour or attitude e.g. effects our ability to be optimistic, minimal family time e.g. withdrawal and changes in social participation opportunities.
2. Habits – Take time to develop your wellbeing-inducing habits We are all familiar with what habits support our wellbeing: spending time in nature, drinking plenty of water, practicing mindfulness, eating sufficient vegetables, getting good quality sleep, taking time to move and so on. Take some time to develop new habits where necessary to support your well being.
3.Observation – Take time to observe in times of discomfort How we want people to see us vs. how we think people see us creates a gap. It is this gap that oftentimes cause huge anxiety. We say “I’m so stressed” but what are we really saying? We need to create a habit of stopping, taking a breath and then asking ourselves what is really going on? Followed by the question “is that true?” There’s power in a breath – the sacred pause.