Mental health awareness week

Every year there is a week in May dedicated to mental health awareness.  This year the week is w/c 14 May - so it is fast approaching - and the focus is on stress - how are we coping with the ever increasing amount of stress in our lives.  

We are delighted to be teaming up with a huge number of clients to host and share events they are running.  We also have our own event on 17 May - an open seminar at our office in WeWork Moorgate.  The theme is around developing a mental health strategy in your business.  Details are here - https://www.byrnedean.com/event/developing-a-strategy-on-mental-health-and-wellbeing-for-your-workplace/ - but places are filling up fast and we have already had to rejig the room arrangements to accommodate the demand for places.  Thank you for all those attending what I hope will be a valuable experience.

We are also collaborating with Old Square Chambers, a leading barristers chambers, at an event on 15 May:

"To coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week, Old Square Chambers is hosting a seminar on mental health in the workplace, which will cover all you need to know about this important and potentially overwhelming topic. Elizabeth Melville and Hilary Winstone welcome Richard Martin, an ‘in-demand’ external speaker on this topic. Between them they will cover:

• An overview of mental health in the workplace;
• ‘Time to Change’ and other key concepts;
• The importance of training;
• Disability and reasonable adjustments;
• ‘Stress at work’ and the potential for personal injury claims;
• Case studies – a practical approach to some common problems.

We would be delighted if you would be able to join us for this event. If you wish to reserve a place and have been sent this invitation directly, please do so by clicking 'Accept' above. If you have not received this invitation directly and would like to attend, please contact us by email at events@oldsquare.co.uk. This event will be followed by a drinks and canapé reception from 7.15 PM. We would welcome you to join us.

Please do feel free to share this with colleagues who may wish to attend."

The event has been hugely oversubscribed so has been moved to a new venue, the Great Hall at Goodenough College - http://events.goodenough.ac.uk/function-rooms/london-house/the-great-hall - the venue itself looks grand enough to be worth a visit, never mind the content of the seminar!  If you would like to come along then please register soon at events@oldsquare.co.uk.  It would be great to see you and even the increased numbers are filling fast.

Finally, even if you cannot attend one of the huge number of events happening during the week, at the very least use the week as an occasion to reflect on mental health - your own, that of people around you, whether at work or at home, or someone you pass in the street who seems distressed.  Ask that simple question - "how are you?" - but mean it, and actually listen to the answer.  And when someone asks you that, even if just for this one week, answer it honestly, to yourself if not to the questioner.  And if you don't know the answer, or are concerned about what it really is, then reach out.