For Mental Health Awareness Week

As it’s Mental Health Awareness Week, today I’m not going to write about corporate structures or intercompany agreements or joint ventures or personal effectiveness. I’m not even going to share one of those ‘how to’ lists for reducing stress in the workplace or achieving a better work/life balance.

I want to celebrate all the listeners, who make a positive difference in the face of mental suffering.

We all know that the human spirit can transcend the most horrifying physical circumstances. But the human mind also has the ability to make the most picture-perfect situation feel like hell. The act of listening – without agreeing or advising, just granting being – can play a vital role in healing mental distress.

I would like to invite you to send a mental prayer of thanks to someone who has made a difference by listening to you when you needed it. I will do the same. Maybe it will inspire us both to ‘pay it forward’ for someone else.