Eventwell is the event industry’s ‘first and only’ social enterprise and official resource for wellbeing advice, knowledge and support. #EventWell18 week will run from the 17th – 21st September, focusing on self-care in both, our work, and personal lives.
But what is self-care?
Self-care is understanding when you should look after yourself, and how… It may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how often this doesn’t happen. This is, of course, for ourselves, but also for those around us.
Entering the world of work, I now face the modern pressures of being successful in my chosen career, funding, and managing my chosen lifestyle. These are all factors which can contribute to becoming anxious, stressed, which can, sometimes, lead to depression and other mental illnesses. Something which my generation is increasingly prone to.
As a young person starting out in the events industry, I have decided to highlight a handful of key self-care points to support anyone in a similar position.
Stress in the workplace
Stress in normal. Anyone can find themselves stressed in a manic situation (I know I can). Therefore, it’s important to find the time to take a step back and put things into perspective. Working within the events industry, time constraints are often the cause of stress. There are times where you’re having to juggle a variety of tasks, sometimes with very little warning.
If you’re struggling, always ask for help. There is no harm in asking if it’s getting too much. Devise a strategic plan of where you need to be, what you need to bring, and how you are getting there. If you need to take a break, take one. Even if it’s for 5 or 10 minutes.
What does self-care involve?
It’s different from person to person. So, I can only speak for myself, but being active is a true passion of mine. I love going to the gym and working out. It helps me unwind and boosts my self-esteem. If I’ve had a busy day, booking a class or going for a run on the treadmill always helps me to de-stress and feel better.
It’s important to switch off from work. Obviously, work is important and there are times – especially in this industry – where we may be working late or coming in early but switching off is a must do. Here’s some ideas:
- Join a fitness class
- Go for a swim
- Take yourself to the cinema
- Meet up with friends for dinner
- Spend time with family
- Go to a spa
These are all different activities you can do every week, a fortnight, or even every month. It’s crucial to put yourself first and do things that you enjoy doing, at least some of the time. It’s all too easy to be consumed with work, and life stresses, but doing a fun activity to keep the mind going is something we all need to invest time into.
Getting enough sleep is a crucial element of self-care. Most adults need approximately 7-9 hours of sleep per night. As sleep can often be disrupted by stress, anxiety, and overthinking, it is important to learn how to switch off. Different methods work for different people, so don’t be afraid to try new things. If you still unsure on the different methods to use, The National Sleep Foundation has some great sleep tips for you to implement.
Why is self-care important?
Did you know…
- In the last year, 74% of people have felt so stressed they have been overwhelmed or unable to cope.
- 20% of adolescents may experience a mental health problem in any given year.
- 50%of mental health problems are established by age 14 and 75% by age 24.
- 5 million working days lost due to work-related stress, depression or anxiety in 2016/17.
Self-care allows you to maintain a healthy relationship with yourself. If you don’t make time for yourself and allow yourself to de-stress or face your problems head on, it can lead to bigger problems, such as damaging mental health problems as showcased in the stats above, and much needed time off work.
Why should the industry take this topic seriously?
Feeling stressed and overloaded with work is common in the events industry, but I believe a high number of mental health cases can be treated with self-care. Mental health, wellbeing, and self-care are all topics that need to be talked about openly, to ensure people are happy and healthy. This will lead to a better performance at work, with increased productivity and efficiency, as well as less stress-related absence an employee attrition.
There’s no doubt that we all live busy lives, but if we take the correct steps to look after ourselves, we can take the world by storm.
Author
Sascha Lewis – Apprentice Events Assistant at DRP
