Mental Health Awareness Week: How Our Team Manages Stress
Mental Health Awareness Week serves as a crucial reminder that caring for our mental wellbeing is just as important as tending to our physical health.
As we navigate the demands of modern life, taking preventative measures to manage stress and maintain our mental health has become essential.
This week, we’re sharing personal stories from members of our team about how each of us manages stress differently, highlighting that there's no one-size-fits-all approach to wellbeing.
Whether through mindfulness practices, exercise, or simply taking time to enjoy our favourite hobbies, we all find ways to keep our minds healthy and balanced. By sharing our diverse strategies, we hope to inspire others to discover their own unique ways of taking care of their mental health in a manner that aligns with their interests and fits their individual circumstances.
Reeva, Founder and CEO
“My mind is most at ease in the middle of the sea on my surfboard. Surfing is when I experience a complete state of flow. It’s taught me intense physical and mental strength juxtaposed with the need to practise patience and let go of control to the ocean.”
Imogen, Customer Success Manager
“I love getting out in nature, either on a dog walk or a gentle run that lets me take in the scenery. I love practising mindful jogging, where I really focus on what I can see, hear, feel and smell. It helps me feel grounded and allows me to completely clear my head.”
Boaz, Head of Product
"I try to do sauna and cold water exposure 2x per week to alleviate my anxiety and detox. I find the experience intense and all consuming, forcing me to focus on my body and let go of everything else in that moment. I feel incredibly recharged, energised and relaxed after each session. I also find myself trying to push myself each week with slightly longer durations"
Rebecca, Product Manager
"Activities that take me away and out of my own life and into a different world is the thing that helps me most. Going to see art, music, a film, dance or reading a good book reminds me that there is more to life, and puts my head in a completely different space."
Marion, Head of Marketing
“I have been practising yoga for 15+ years now. For me yoga isn't just exercise, it gives me the feeling of total disconnect from the outside world. The physical movements are so familiar to me yet simultaneously challenging, that it takes all my concentration in a session, and therefore takes my mind off any stress I may be feeling."
Josh, Founders Associate
“I find taking some time to journal first thing in the morning makes a huge difference to my day. I make myself a coffee and sit down for 10 minutes to write 3 pages of unprompted thoughts. It's great for getting things out of my head so I can focus on the day ahead, and I find writing things down helps me to clarify my thoughts and come up with solutions to problems that I'd have never thought of otherwise.”
Nicole, Programme Manager
"As someone who used to struggle with sleep, incorporating nightly journaling into my routine has been transformative. Each evening, I take a few moments to jot down my thoughts, reflections, and any lingering worries. This simple practice has had a profound impact on my sleep quality. I find that by putting pen to paper, I'm able to release any pent-up tension or racing thoughts, allowing me to drift off into a peaceful sleep."
Jacek, Lead Machine Learning Engineer
"One of the best techniques for stress is just keeping your body busy! I find that my mind is clearer after my gym workouts or when I work in my garden. The trick is to find a physical activity that doesn't require you to think, so your brain can rest."
Isi, Head of Operations
"My go tos for stress reduction and relaxation are yoga nidra and sound baths – low, gentle practice and being immersed in vibrations work so well for down regulating my nervous system and getting out of my head. I always come out of sessions feeling much more at peace, but energised as well. And when I'm really struggling to sleep and my mind is overactive, I find even a quick 10 minute sound bath really helps to ease me into slumber”
Gabby, Programme Lead
"Tapping into a sense of connection really helps my mental health and stress relief. It can be as simple as a few minutes connecting with my breath to shift my state, connecting with my body through movement and shaking tension out, a meaningful conversation that reconnects me to what matters, or a mindful walk to connect me to the natural world where I gain ultimate perspective"
