#HRactsofkindness be kinder to yourself

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Welcome to week two of HR acts of kindness!

This week, it’s al about how we can be kinder to ourselves. As we are already well aware, life can generally be very stressful, there are so many demands on our time such as juggling work with quality time with our loved ones, it makes it difficult to fit in that much needed “you time”.

Given that HR acts of kindness encourages us to be kinder to those within our workplaces and people around us, it can seem difficult to practice kindness when it can feel that the world is upon your shoulders; so by being kinder to ourselves, it helps us to be more positive and therefore more likely to practice kindness on a more regular basis.

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In a time where “me too” takes centre stage, when is it a good time to talk about men’s mental health?

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When I began writing this piece, it was difficult to fully piece together what the picture of men’s mental health looks like from a man’s perspective, not because I’m a woman, but because so few are reluctant to speak out. In this case, it makes this piece all the more worthwhile.

Unfortunately, around one in eight men inĀ England are currently living with a mental health issue and with suicide being the largest cause of death for men under 35, it only highlights the scale of this problem. So why are so many people reluctant to talk about it? Maybe it is because so many men may be reluctant to seek support, there are thousands of men suffering in silence due to the stigma surrounding this taboo subject.

Sadly many are afraid to speak openly about their mental health even with those closest to them, and whilst this topic is not a new issue, people are still shying away from it, so isn’t it time we start talking openly about men’s mental health?

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International Women’s Day 2019; career lessons I’ve learned from the Spice Girls

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Happy International Women’s Day everyone, I hope you are all celebrating all things women power today! In this post, I’m giving IWD a 90’s twist, with some of the lessons I learned from the Spice Girls and how that has stuck with me throughout my career.

Back in 1996, the world was a very different place and it seemed to be dominated by men. For me, those five girls, Scary, Baby, Ginger, Posh and encouraged young women everywhere and inspired them to dream big by following their ambitions and being the best version of themselves.

When I first set my heart on a career in HR and started applying for jobs, I heard ā€œI’m sorry, you’re wasting your time, you don’t have any HR experience.ā€ despite having a wealth of transferrable skills, it felt impossible to actually find a way in, but I soon discovered that it is all about being positive and having a determination to succeed.

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My top HR and business books – World Book Day 2019

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For those of you who know me well, you’ll know how much of a book worm I am! To celebrate World Book Day 2019, I have gathered a list of my favourite top ten business and inspirational books to share with you all to inspire your next read.

I have picked these books in particular, because I think they are inspirational, motivational and brilliant. I couldn’t put them down, and like all good secrets, I had to share them! They have each individually helped me to shape my career and support my career development with helpful tips that I have taken away, and I continue to use them throughout my every day working life.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

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From Travel Agent to HR Consultant; my career journey so far

When I meet people that have either read the blog or seen me speak at an event, one of the first questions I get asked is how I managed to get from being a Travel Agent to an HR Consultant.

The reason I was inspired to write this post is because at this time of year, many people think, new year, new career, and I thought this may help some people if they were considering this particular situation.

The shameless selfie above was taken just before Christmas outside of the Maidenhead branch of TUI (formerly Thomson Holidays, and yes I did get some strange looks!) this is where I had my first proper job interview at the age of 18 when it was known as Lunn Poly (that may take a few of you back!). I was just about to finish my A-Levels in business, Travel and Tourism and I didn’t want to wait until my exam results, I wanted to get into work as soon as possible, so the day after my exams finished, I was working and sending people all over the world on their dream holidays.

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