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MAKE MORE TIME FOR FUN • I’m always shocked b

MAKE MORE TIME FOR FUN •

I’m always shocked by how few of my clients seem to make time for fun.

For me it’s a necessity - if I can’t have fun, the thing is barely worth doing.

In fact, it gets me into trouble when I avoid my accounts for months at a time....

But, if used in moderation, fun can be the secret sauce that makes your business run smoothly.

You have a better time doing it.

Things magically seem to ‘flow.’

People want to be around you.

Your clients enjoy working with you twice as much!

These things combined can massively impact your sales, and explains why hipster tech companies across the world will INSIST on having pool tables.

It’s often the first thing we drop when we’re stressed and under pressure, but perversely it’s one of the best things for relieving stress!

I’m going to take my own advice and head out for a little wander after work tonight, because that’s what fun looks like for me!

🎉 what fun could you be bringing to your work this week?

- ☕️ Alice

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💻 To read the full list of wellbeing tips, head to the link in our bio to take you to the blog.

THERE ARE NO RULES POST COVID • There’s a lot

THERE ARE NO RULES POST COVID •

There’s a lot of excitement around the lockdown easing this week.

But also a lot of anxiety, fear and uncertainty for people.

It’s important over the next few weeks to not only tale our own wellbeing into account, but that of other people as well.

As much as I want to text all of my friends and arrange a meetup, I don’t know what their personal boundaries are, and asking sometimes puts people in the uncomfortable position of saying no.

We’ve all practiced A LOT of patience over the past year, so a few more weeks don’t feel like a big deal, personally.

☕️ If you’re inviting people out, maybe ask 1:1 instead of in a group. No-one likes peer pressure

☕️ Ask what people’s boundaries are without staying your own preferences - “I’m thinking of heading into town soon. Would you be comfortable coming with me sometime?” puts their feelings first.

☕️ Similarly, avoid phrases like “Please come out, I miss yooooooooouuuuu!” It can add a sense of guilt to a potentially stressful situation. None of us likes letting people down, but we’ve got to handle the ‘reintegration phase’ at a pace that feels right.

WELLBEING FIRST, PEOPLE!!

Take care out there, take it steady and be nice to people.

- ☕️ Alice

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📸 Thanks to @barriochorlton for my first Freedom Coffee yesterday morning - treating myself after my first morning run in FOREVER!

🔈 CALLING ALL MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCATES! • Mos

🔈 CALLING ALL MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCATES! •

Most of us are interested in improving the mental health of our workplaces and communities.

But often the problem feels too big to handle.

That’s why I'm starting the Mental Health Meetup; a free online event where mental health professionals, advocates and change-makers can:

o Support, encourage and motivate each other

o Share ideas and learn from others

o Meet potential clients, collaborators, friends and allies

o Gain insights to help turn thoughts into action

o Have energising conversations that focus on finding solutions

The meetup will be an interactive, conversation-based networking event based on a series of breakout rooms where we discuss our take on the topic of the day.

WHO IS THE EVENT FOR?

1. PROFESSIONALS:
people actively working in mental health or wellbeing

2. ADVOCATES:
people passionate about improving mental health in society, e.g: Mental health first aiders | Wellbeing champions | HR professionals | Company directors

3. CHANGE-MAKERS:
people with the power to make changes around policy, or to connect different parts of the mental health community

Tuesday 13th April, 12.30pm - 1.30pm GMT

📲 Sound good? Link to book is in my bio - or send this post to someone you think would be interested.

😊 See you there!

- Alice

💪HELP YOUR TEAM BUILD BACK BOLDER • There ha

💪HELP YOUR TEAM BUILD BACK BOLDER •

There has never been a more difficult time to be a leader in business.

You’re worried about business performance.

(Especially if you’ve grown during the pandemic... the guilt! The ridiculous level of guilt!)

You’re worried about team engagement.

Are they enjoying their work? Are they still managing to collaborate across the void? Are they still motivated without the office pool table?

More importantly though, you’re worried for their sanity.

You’re probably wondering if you’re doing enough to support their mental health, but suspect you could be doing more.

😁 Well that’s where the Build Back Bolder program comes in!

This 90-day GROUP COACHING PROGRAM is designed to bring your team closer together and help each other with personal development.

We all love a bit of organised fun, but if you’re all pub-quizzed-out, this could be just the thing.

Over 6 sessions, we’ll explore topics including boundary-setting, confidence and self-esteem to help your team grow as individuals and support each other at the same time.

Taking ownership over our personal development is massively beneficial for our sense of wellbeing.

And that increased level of agency, certainty and confidence can compound to increase sexy things like productivity, profitability and work satisfaction.

If you’re an SME owner looking for a way to boost your team, this could be just the thing.

Download the Build Back Bolder program outline using the link in our bio, or book a coffee chat if you’d like to chat in more detail 🙌🏼

**PS - not a manager, but like the sound of the program? Send it on to the L&D Manager in your life and I’ll see if I can win them over 😉

- ☕️ Alice

“Sometimes you can try your best and it will sti

“Sometimes you can try your best and it will still go tits up! That’s just life, and it’s ok to fail.”

🙌🏼 My favourite takeaway from this week’s Working on Wellbeing guest - @katenags

Kate runs the London freelance desk at a creative recruitment agency.

😆 She’s also a master baker and knows all the words to Ice Ice Baby!

💫 More importantly though, she is a champion of common sense and advocate of working towards wellbeing at work.

💁🏻‍♀️ Get in touch with Kate for a lovely chat around recruitment or job hunting... or if you just fancy a good gossip. She’s a legend!

- ☕️ Alice

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📲 Want to give us your take on wellbeing at work?

Head to the link in our bio and fill out the short form to be featured in a future article.

🎉 NEW MEETUP!! If you’re one of the mission

🎉 NEW MEETUP!!

If you’re one of the mission-driven mental health advocates in my network, this will be right up your street!

If you want to be part of solving the rising mental health crisis, come along to this fun, friendly and free meetup launching next month!

We’ll be welcoming, PROFESSIONALS including:

🧠 Psychologists
🩺 Doctors
👊 Activists
📚 Academics
🧘 Wellbeing Facilitators
🎤 Lived experience speakers
✍️Writers

ADVOCATES including:

📖 Students and graduates
⛑ Mental health first aides
💫 Wellbeing Champions
💻 Company Directors
💼 HR Managers
🙌 ... basically anyone who cares about improving mental health for all

And CHANGE-MAKERS, including:

⚖️ Policy makers
🧑‍💼 Local councillors, authorities and MP’s
⛓ Those connectors who can bring all of the above together!

Whoever you are, if you’re interested, we want you involved!

This is an interactive networking and conversation group with one aim:

to bring together our skills, knowledge and passion to help solve the mental health crisis.

📅 FIRST SESSION: 12.30pm GMT Tuesday 13th April.

📲 Sign up using the link in our bio and let’s do this thing 💃

- ☕️ Alice

“DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS” • T

“DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS” •

That was my main takeaway from Toby Lyons (no relation to me!) at @psychotherapyleeds

Toby has been working in hospitality for the last 8 years alongside doing ‘a lot of university-ing!’

He is also a relational/ integrative psychotherapist setting up a private therapy and counselling practice... so he knows a thing or two about juggling workload.

Great then to hear his professional opinion of how to stay happy and sane at work!

He’s a huge advocate of finding what works for YOU.

Some things that have worked for him that he recommends include:

☕️ having a laugh

☕️ reading and watching something you can lose yourself in

☕️ stroking animals (owners permission is recommended!)

☕️ doing something generous for someone (or yourself!)

This interview is chock-full of useful nuggets and insights, and there’s more of the same on Toby’s page so check out @psychotherapyleeds for more wellbeing wisdom and psychotherapy 101

👉🏼 What’s your favourite takeaway from today’s guest? Let me know below

- ☕️ Alice

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☺️ Want to share your take on wellbeing at work with the Dark Coffee community?

Follow the ‘Working on Wellbeing’ link in our bio and fill out the form to get features in a future article.

Check in with yourself • What a week, eh? I k

Check in with yourself •

What a week, eh?

I know I don’t usually post on a weekend but there’s so much heaviness in the air for so many of us, I wanted to offer a couple of thoughts...

First off, I hope you’re all ok.

From the discussions I’ve had with women in my network this week, I know a lot of them are reeling from Sarah Everard’s death.

It’s heartbreaking to think of Sarah, her family and friends who are all suffering from such a senseless attack.

And in a broader sense, there’s a feeling of ‘it could have been me or someone I know.’

Women all know that feeling of fear for their personal safety, and the safeguards that we put in place to protect ourselves.

Safeguards that we shouldn’t fucking need.

I know I’ve been feeling a lot of anger and despair the last few days.

Anger that we live in a society where women are not safe walking home alone.

And despair at the scale of the problem, that sometimes feels like it’s too big to handle.

It’s exhausting.

And yet, we carry on.

Problems can feel all-consuming in the moment, but we have an incredible capacity to move through them.

I know for myself I feel a lot better waking up today than yesterday.

In spite of the rain, I’m going to go for a long walk because I know it helps me think, heal and process things.

Big social problems will not be solved overnight, but we can do what we can to find calm, peace and a sense of wellbeing, while we’re working towards the changes we want to see.

It sounds cheesy but it’s like finding the eye of the storm, where it’s quiet.

I hope you’ll find a bit of peace for yourself this weekend, whether that’s walking, journaling, spending time with loved ones, having an amazing takeaway, playing video games, watching Netflix....

Whatever makes you feel good, I’d say go all in on that.

This week has been a lot. Give yourself a break.

Sending you so much love,

- ☕️ Alice