Grab Your Coat

Tillymint’s founder, Alison Gallagher-Hughes, provides a personal take on work and wellbeing

“I’ll grab me coat“. That famous punchline from TV’s The Fast Show suddenly sprang to mind today when the dog lead was dangled in front of my nose.

I had been working from home with my blinkers on progressing my endless ‘to do’ list when I suddenly realised I had not punctuated my day with any exercise. In fact, I had hardly moved from the sofa for the best part of six hours.

So focused was my concentration that all other considerations were merrily absent until the sound of tiny paws prompted me to grab my coat and accompany my husband and dogs on their evening stroll.

For an early October evening, it was a brisk one but I came back refreshed and mentally renewed, albeit with rather cold hands.

Ironically, on my return an email newsletter had arrived in my inbox advising me that tomorrow is World Mental Health Day, an initiative for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy.

Within it, there was a link to The Mental Health Foundation which has a website full of useful resources including a free guide to supporting mental health at work. In it, it stresses the importance of keeping active:

“Regular exercise can boost your self-esteem and can help you concentrate, sleep, and look and feel better,” it states.

Furthermore, it highlights how this doesn’t have to mean being a slave to the gym, suggesting 30 minutes’ exercise at least five days a week and trying to make physical activity something that you enjoy and can make part of your day.

It’s all too easy to let work become your master, and as much as we may enjoy what we do, it’s important to strike the right balance for our physical and mental well-being. In that way, we can replenish ourselves, give ourselves time to think and be kind to ourselves and in turn, to those around us.

So next time, you have been sitting still for too long, been working too long – give yourself a little ‘me time’. Take the lead and grab your coat!