Build Your Own Frame
Dr. Steven MacGregor
Chief Wellbeing Officer | McKinsey Senior Advisor | International Speaker | Bestselling author of a trilogy of wellbeing books | Experienced Business School Professor
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:
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.
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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:
If you encounter stress today think about how it can be your friend.
Chief Wellbeing Officer | McKinsey Senior Advisor | International Speaker | Bestselling author of a trilogy of wellbeing books | Experienced Business School Professor
3 年Regarding the stress part, this is just the starting point of course. A definition, how it differs from worry and anxiety, and what else is required to make it useful is all necessary -- starting in next week's newsletter :)
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3 年That Friday push we all needed ?? ! Thanks Steven!