In 1992 the World Federation for Mental Health first recognised Mental Health Day. Now, 30 years on October is celebrated in NSW as Mental Health Month.
To encourage each other to think about our mental health we spoke to the Madden team. Our first post is with our intern, Brendan. Here are some of his insights:
What does mindfulness mean to you? For me, mindfulness is a sense of composure and calm in responding to aspects of my external environment. I find this transcends mental considerations, as taking time and activities to keep myself engaged and enthused allows me to be fully aware and present in interactions.
How could we practice more mindfulness at work or in our day-to-day? Mindfulness is driven by presence, so I would place emphasis on paying close attention and being open to absorbing and learning as much as possible each day. While this can be challenging and even overwhelming at times, having a sense of direction and goals can have a profound impact on mental clarity.
What is your go-to routine when you’re feeling overwhelmed or stressed? I always find it best to take a moment to concentrate elsewhere. Often times when I work on a task and hit a roadblock it can become easy to feel agitated and overwhelmed, particularly when there are time constraints. But when I take a moment for myself or look at something else, I find a fresh perspective always helps me clear my head.
How does Madden embrace a positive culture which supports our well-being? I find even simple initiatives to have a profound impact, such as our recent lunch and learn, which collated the team to allow our Executive Director Bruce Madden to share some of his wisdom. Having a relaxed format that allows the team to ask questions openly and expand their understanding of the financial services industry is just one example of how we support well-being through our corporate culture.