When I think back to my days working within the not-for-profit sector I can’t remember much laughter. It felt hard to have a giggle when the nature of the work was so heavy. When we’re faced with challenging work, or challenging times, laughter can feel far away or inappropriate. But laughter is …
One of my self-care practices is meditation. I try to meditate daily, many times and for many reasons I miss, but the intention is there. I use an app called Insight Timer and listen to a teacher called Sarah Blondin. ‘Be, receive, give thanks’ is Sarah Blondin’s phrase. She shares it in …
Lethargy comes when we don’t know where we’re heading. Whether it’s individually, as a team, in a partnership or as an organisation. We end up plodding along when there’s no clear direction or aim. Life can seem a bit grey, and we can feel a little lost. Not having an aim, or …
This week, our amazing associate Jo Goodbody has written a piece about the mental health benefits of walking. Jo is a trainer-facilitator with over 14 years’ experience in the not-for-profit sector. She has worked on the frontline, as a manager and as a trainer in the homelessness, violence against women and social …
Humans ebb and flow. Sometimes we feel joyous, energised, optimistic, sometimes we feel lethargic and hopeless. Sometimes we don’t know how we feel, we feel numb, or lost, or just ok. We are emotional and chemical organisms. We change, we feel different from one day to the next, we feel different from …
This week I am sharing a really personal story. It is quite intense and talks about OCD and Mental ill health… So yesterday it was World Mental Health Day and I came across this interview with Mara Wilson (AKA the actress who played Matilda). As I was reading I was reminded of …
The wellbeing of yourself, your team, and your organisation as a whole must be regularly tended to. Wellbeing isn’t just about putting a few strategies in place; it’s an ongoing, ever-changing process. Our needs change over time as we grow and develop. Within organisations, wellbeing needs change when even one person leaves …
Happy September. It’s gorgeous here on the south coast today: still and sunny. ‘Should I stay or should I go’ was a constant question for me when working in the not-for-profit sector. There were plus points and negative points about working in the roles I did, and I was regularly engaged in …
August is always the quietest month of the year for Bird. Organisations tend to step back from investing in any kind of workshop work whilst folks go on holiday. And so, apart from continuing to work with my beautiful 1:1 clients, I have a little more time to step back and reflect. Now …
We live and work in a world where creating success and perfection is encouraged. When we strive for such, life becomes hard and tiring, and we inevitably begin to believe we’re substandard because we can’t quite meet all of those expectations. So often we’re chasing the carrot, and from a young age …
