Asking for help....

I mentor others but never been a mentee........until this week.

Taking part in The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) Women Leading in Safety program with Karen J. Hewitt has provided me the opportunity to link with other women in the H&S field. We've learnt and shared together and set our 'North Star' goals.

So, I met my amazing mentor Andrea Simon to help me achieve my goals. Being a particularly independent woman I'm not the best at asking for help - because I can do everything by myself, right? Well, I can do everything myself but sometimes I struggle telling myself it makes me stronger and builds resilience. Working with this group of women has shown me that I don't have to struggle. There are people out there that are willing and able to help.

Andrea and I shared our story, discussed our past challenges and got to know each other. Then she asked me the question, "So how do you want me to help you?" and immediately my brain went to, 'I don't need help, I can achieve my goals by myself!' But for the first time in a long time, I took a breath and asked for support and help in achieving my goal. And I'm looking forward to the next few months working with her.

The reason I'm sharing this experience is that I want you to think about a situation when you could have asked for help for didn't. Did you struggle but achieve? Did you struggle and fail? Either way, how much easier would it have been if you just asked for help?

If you're interested in being mentored in your H&S career you can find information on the IOSH website.

If you are struggling at home or at work - speak up and ask for help.