Mental Health Awareness Week: Jazz Smith on Cricket

As ‘Movement’ is the theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week, we asked Pen colleagues to tell us about their favoured forms and how ‘moving more for your mental health’ resonates with them.

Cricket has been part of?Jazz Smith’s life since she was old enough to wield a bat. Now an Underwriting Assistant for our specialist marine war risk underwriting business?Vessel Protect, Jazz has been an active member of Lloyd’s Women’s Cricket team since joining the industry three years ago.?

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Tell us a little about how you got into cricket, and where you play?

I have played cricket for as long as I can remember. My brother, four years my senior, joined our local club at a young age and always used to force me to play in the garden. I ended up really enjoying it so, by the age of eight, I had signed up too. As the only female player at the club I was initially stuck in a younger group, but moved up into the Under-11 team by age nine where I started playing matches and was put forward for Essex Trials.

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Do you believe ‘movement matters’ in terms of benefitting your mental as well as physical health?

Definitely. Working in a hybrid office job I sit down for most of the day and, when working from home, I sometimes don’t even leave the house. Despite the upsides of not always having to commute, I found it harder to sleep and detach from work. I also found myself overthinking a lot more. Exercise means that I can break up my day and clear my head after a day’s work. The physical activity means I sleep better, and the endorphins held boost my mood!

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How does it affect your mental well-being if or when you are not able to be physically active?

If I don’t exercise, I find myself feeling more tired, can overthink things and find it really hard to stay motivated.

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What three words sum up the benefit of being physically active to you?

Rewarding, motivating and energising.

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This year, all colleagues have once again been offered an additional paid day’s leave to focus on our mental well-being. Do you have plans for how you will use yours?

I am hoping to catch up on some life admin and also try a new activity.

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In which case, is there a form of ‘movement’ you are yet to try and how else do you stay active?

I have dabbled in yoga in the past but would like to do this more often as have heard there are so many benefits. I do also try to attend the gym a few times a week, but would like to be more consistent with it, setting goals and achieving them, as I find that really rewarding.