Build Your Own Frame

Welcome to the second edition of The Daily Reset newsletter, my new book which will be published on 6th December. I'm over the moon with the level of subscriptions in the first week! Many thanks to everyone who has shown an interest. World Mental Health Day is on Sunday and this week I've selected two of my 366 book nudges which build on classic ideas in the area of mental health and combine to give the theme of reframing.

First, "it's ok not to be ok." I think the power of this phrase is in giving people freedom, space and permission. Not to slavishly follow norms or expectations of others, of the system. At a time when the system is being reset, an extension of other things that are ok (within the workplace) as demonstrated by Giles Turnbull pre-pandemic and re-purposed by Google post-pandemic is useful. What are the things you should accept that will give space to breathe and protect mental health. What is the new frame, for you and others?

Second, stress is a huge factor in our mental health. Yet the damage it can cause is mostly down to us - to how we perceive it. Again, can you reframe stress? Can you make stress your friend?

Thanks for reading this week. To celebrate World Mental Health Day I'm speaking on a virtual roundtable organized by Kyan Health on Monday 11th October. Free and open to all. Details and sign-up here.

Happy weekend all. Steven

It's ok to...make your own rules (nudge #284/366)

‘It’s ok not to be ok’ has been a cornerstone of mental health advice for years, and was frequently used during the worst stages of the pandemic.

In 2016 Giles Turnbull from the UK Government Digital Service wrote a ‘It’s ok to…’ list that was designed primarily for new hires to absorb the culture of the workplace quickly and easily. Among the 34 things on the list that everyone saw dotted around the office are:

• Say “I don’t know”
• Ask why, and why not
• Ask for help
• Make mistakes
• Sing
• Sigh
• Not check your email out of hours
• Have off-days
• Have days off

At a time when we all might feel the pressure to follow rules that no longer apply, I think this is a fantastic reminder that it’s ok to make our own rules.

What might your own ‘it’s ok to…’ list look like?

(shown below, Google's take as part of their wellness manifesto. Personally, I don't believe in workplace 'wellness' -- more on that in a future newsletter ;)

Stress is your friend (nudge #286/366)

Can we make stress our friend?

Health psychologist Kelly McGonigal posed this question in her 2013 TED Talk. Seven distinct areas of research were highlighted:

1. Stress correlates to a lower risk of death when we perceive it as having no negative health impact, regardless of the quantity of stress.
2. Stress boosts the production of neurons that can improve mental performance.
3. Bursts of stress can strengthen the immune system, by producing supportive hormones through the adrenal glands.
4. Stress can make you more social, and increase levels of trust and sharing.
5. Some types of stress can improve learning, with one study showing the benefit of cold water for improving test scores.
6. Stress can improve memory. We recall stressful events, good or bad, in our lives.
7. Stress may help you connect with your instincts, with test subjects doing better on tasks which were less about the details and more about going with your gut.

If you encounter stress today think about how it can be your friend.

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