They spent the first hour laying on the floor as they were in pain, sore, exhausted, overloaded and their body was telling them to stop.
I was super impressed that this person still came and the other participants just carried on like it happens everyday.
It was a mental health and wellbeing workshop afterall.
They knew this wasn’t just a sore back, and acknowledged that running a business, caring roles, life responsibilities, past surgeries, a full schedule and not having much space for self were taking its toll.
They still participated, connected, shared, listened and did the psychsocial risks quiz from the ground – and most of all having time to stop, connect, contribute with other business owners was valuable.
These are the experiences in a room when people come together that are hard to capture, yes we learn a bit about mental health and wellbeing but it is the sharing of humaning that goes beyond any PowerPoint slide or resource that is the most valuable.
The script went out the door (after we did a quiz) and participants had the rare experience of being listened to, to speak what’s on their mind, to have questions reflected back and gain insights for themselves.
The uncertainty become more clear
The self doubt lessened and self compassion came to the table
Guilt, blame and resentment had a voice so it could dissolve
The overwelm lightened
Creativity, direction, confidence and action became known.
And passion and purpose returned.
These thought’s may have just swirled around, had an impact on functioning, stayed alone, instead they were shared, mirrored, normalised and moved into another space – and thats good for wellbeing.
The impact of connecting cannot be measured in spreadsheets and is a huge part of the theme of the day – creating a safe, secure and supportive environment.
Thank you to the participants that showed up for themselves and one another, the shift in energy was palpable and I look forward to seeing what else unfolds when we get together for the next mastermind for small and family business.
Thank you to the City of Marion and Office for Small and Family Business for partnering to create a connection space that is so meaningful to business owners.
