A Contribution from my Dad

‘Modern life can be very demanding. Some of you are studying hard for exams, readying yourselves for the transition into the world of work, feeling the pressure of ‘what to do next!’ Perhaps a year out, excited to travel across the world in search new experiences, diverse cultures and new friendships or perhaps an internship? Or a response to that job application? Or simply some rest! Some of us (me) are already in challenging jobs and have been for many years, and of course we all have busy personal lives. Whichever, the need to be at our best remains a challenge.

Sometimes these pressures can overwhelm us and prevent us bringing our full energy and focus to what we are doing, be it in that relationship with a loved one or a task at work. We all aspire in some guise to a life of fulfilment and happiness and that as you can imagine can take many forms and will vary throughout our lives. My daughter came back from a visit to South America having experienced the very humble and non -materialistic existence in the Galapagos Islands and asked me if I was happy. I assured myself that I was…but it did make me think!

We flourish and achieve when we feel at our best. Only when we enjoy optimal wellbeing – both physical and mental – can we achieve a high performance in whatever we are doing. Our mental resilience is very important to our wellbeing. Research tells us that resilient people demonstrate confidence, adaptability and flexibility even in a very complex and changing environment. They display energy and stamina in meeting challenging goals and draw on all areas of life to maintain a healthy and balanced perspective. Resilient teams are able to focus on what is truly important and to foster a sense of support and trust within the team. They are willing to experiment with the way that work is done in order to be more efficient and effective in meeting business and personal objectives.

Mental wellbeing may not seem an obvious priority in this action, outcome-focused world but without good health, including emotional and intellectual wellbeing, we cannot sustain the world we all appear to want to be part of.

Good luck to you all,

Mol’s Dad’