Hi. Let’s talk about mental health. This has been said in one form or another like a million times already. As a society and profession we have a long way to go so it’s worth repeating. It is completely okay to not be okay. It is normal to feel exhausted, overwhelmed, stressed

These are historic times of crisis, conflict, pain, and uncertainty in the world. If you follow me odds are you’re in the business of serving and protecting others. Putting others before yourself when the world is hurting takes a lot out of you.

But as helpers, we often don’t ask for help. We often try to appear tough because we feel it’s professionally necessary or because we want to be that calm guiding voice. We need to normalize talking about our mental health, work/life balance, managing stress.

We need to recognize that we as humans have limits. We need to be mindful of how much we ask our teammates and ourselves to give. Say no sometimes. We need to know that not everyone that seems okay is okay. Be mindful, kind, and forgiving to yourself and your team.

We all need a break. We aren’t getting one anytime soon... So as helpers we gotta find ways to adapt and help ourselves through this. Thx for coming to my ted talk.