It’s funny but I never really consider that anyone in a role like ours could be affected by mental issues. However, there is an argument for saying you have to be a bit warped to do what we do, but that’s another issue.
We work in an environment where deadlines and pressure are the norm. I suppose that there are rarely any easy days, but we have been doing this for so long that it just becomes a way of life. But I know that we have had a number of people working for us over the years that could not work in this sort of environment for a long time and, at the end of the day had to find their own niche and a working environment where they felt more comfortable.
I am not sure that anyone is completely immune to the effects of working under pressure, but some people are naturally more resilient than others, and we all have ways of dealing with the stresses and strains. I suppose that I am pretty lucky in that Helen and I work together and have done so for a long time. We each understand the issues affecting the other, in a way that couples with different working lives may not. We have our ways of “powering down” and rebooting before we become immersed in it all again.
We choose this life and we can choose to stop anytime. We are not going to do this anytime soon, by the way. We know that we know how to deal with the pressures. We have proven that we can.
But then there are the ones for whom everyday life, for whatever reason is out of control, where the environment in which they find themselves has become too much but they feel that they cannot just walk away. I have known people in this position. Years later, you would not know that they had any issues but for those days, months, or years they were near the end of their tether.
I am not the one to speak to about such issues, but I know people who are able to help.
Emily Stokes is the service manager for Mikeysline in Inverness, the locally based charity providing emotional support to people struggling with mental health including those contemplating suicide or self-harm.
Not only does Emily oversee the operations of the charity, but she has also galvanised the fundraising on behalf of Mikeysline so that they can support even more people at risk in the Highland and Islands.
If you want to find out more about this charity and the work it does, just google it or you will find it on Facebook.
If you want to donate you can do it through their website or their Facebook page or use the link below:
https://www.justgiving.com/Mikeysline
Mikeysline is the charity member in BNI Highland. Mikeysline is running a “Miles for Mikeysline” challenge and our office in Inverness is participating, as is BNI Highland.
There is also a 130-mile sponsored cycle coming up in aid of Mikeysline, coordinated by Andrew “Your Office Designed and Delivered” Still from James Dow Office Supplies. Contact him if you want to get a sore backside for a good cause.
Alan E Long
The Long Partnership
07770 738770
