When our Mind Works Against us

The recent passing of Prodigy front man Keith Flint (one of my music idols) really hit me hard. It highlights once again the importance of our mental wellbeing. It’s critical to everything we are, everything we do and what we will achieve in life. And as we are reminded every so often, when it turns against us the result can be catastrophic. In this case someone loved by so many became a victim is his inner dialogue.

Paying attention to our physical wellbeing is considered normal. No one would think it strange doing physical exercise for 2-3 hours or more per week. And yet how many hours per week do we spend understanding and looking after our mind?

It’s encouraging that mental health and wellbeing is now becoming more widely acknowledged as an important topic. We have a way to go though till we’re openly discussing it as we would for physical health and fitness, especially in the workplace.

According to a recent article by MIND, FTSE 100 companies that prioritise employee engagement and wellbeing outperform the rest of the FTSE 100 by 10 per cent. I can’t help but think the opportunity is far greater than the study suggests. Understanding the mind and treating it in the same way we treat our physical selves is, I think, going to become a key skill as we face the level of change we are likely to see in the next 30 years.

If you’re interested in the topic and want to know more, I’ve found the following resources to especially useful and a great place to start. Or get in touch:

1. The 3 Principles work started by Syd Banks, explaining how our minds create our reality from the inside http://threeprinciplesfoundation.org/
2. Headspace (https://www.headspace.com) for great resources and excellent videos and practical tips for managing our state of mind and mental health
3. The Chimp Paradox (Prof Steve Peters) – for a nice simple model explaining how and why we all show up in ways that can be unhelpful at times.

And be kind to those around you, because you never quite know what’s going on inside.