Tag: workplace stress

Mental wellbeing in PR

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Working in PR and communications is stressful, according to the recent CIPR state of the profession report, around one in six PR professionals (16%) report living with a mental health condition – an increase of 10% from the year before. Any percentage increase is a concern, and highlights that more needs to be done in our industry to address this. It’s fine to have policies in place but we need managers to recognise that their staff are their most important assets and happy healthy staff make for a productive work force. KPIs are important but so is mental wellness.

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Like many I have suffered with depression myself, I recall working for a very well-known organisation, responsible for one of the largest and busiest directorate’s, my daughter was in nursery but was due to start primary school so I knew that I would have to look into flexible working to accommodate this.

I was juggling motherhood, the pressures of working in a high-profile press office and some personal family issues in addition to preparing for the transition from nursery to school and waiting for acceptance into both breakfast and afterschool clubs.

This is a piece I wrote for Mental Health Awareness Week, published in CIPR’s Influence Online magazine you can read the rest here

8 ways to quit your job and be your own boss

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A recent research revealed over half of the UK employees are unhappy at work. PR and communications specialist Ebony Gayle shows you how you can ditch the 9-5 and be your own boss.

Are you looking for a way to breakout of the confines of the workplace? Is work draining and depriving you of your happiness? Does remaining in the workplace until retirement make you take a sharp, deep breath and reconsider your life?  Well if you answer yes, trust and believe you are not alone in this. Research published last month revealed that more than half of all UK employees are unhappy at work.  Reasons for unhappiness at work can vary, the workplace can be restrictive which can be a struggle for parents and those with other aspirations. The awareness that we spend more time at work with colleagues, than we do with our families and friends.
 The UK retirement age is currently 66 years old, but, set to increase in the coming years, and the average life expectancy is roughly 79 years old for females.  With this type of future forecast, it’s no surprise that self-employment is on the rise, guess why? Because they are more contented.  In fact a study last month of 5,000 workers concluded that self-employed people are more successful in their careers and felt happier in their job.

So, if you are looking for a way to escape the workplace here are 8 ideas to explore.

This article was published in Black Beauty & Hair Magazine click here to read the rest.

 

 

Your CAREER, how to do what you want when you want

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Are you looking for a change in your work life? Do you feel like work is depriving you of your happiness? Are you fed up of the 9-5 grind? Do you feel like you are ready to make the next move in your career but not sure what to do? Or maybe you feel like your career is stagnating and you’re at an intersection of indecision.

Working in a 9-5 (usually longer) can start off nicely, but soon morph into a living nightmare. It can be restrictive, time consuming and if you don’t like your job, an extremely unsatisfactory and depressing daily experience. At one point in my career, I felt trapped and depressed, plodding along in my 9-5 job until I decided to step-up and make a change. I wanted to have control over my life and how I spent
my time, so I decided to set up my own consultancy. If you like the sound of being your own boss, deciding when and where you work, you should seriously consider becoming a consultant. It’s a great way to free yourself from the 9-5 drudgery, by using the skills you already have.

Working as a consultant in the field you already specialise in, means, you can choose to work independently or with others. You can remain an independent, or decide to scale up, hire staff and delegate. You can choose to work from anywhere in world. The decision is entirely yours to make and boils down to how much responsibility you want to take on and how it will impact your work-life balance. I know lots of consultants that split their time between living in the UK and abroad
because being a consultant allows them the freedom to do so.

You can read the rest of my article over on Irish Tech News – Link below.

Your Career, How to do what you want and when you want.

 

Fearful of leaving the workplace?

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Check out this interview I did with Sue Dougan, presenter of Track Record on Share Radio where I discuss attending BRIT school of Performing Arts as one of the first intakes in the mid 90s as well as my career.

Now a consultant, writer, presenter and volunteer with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, I raise the idea that we can all work on a freelance or consultative capacity – so long as we’re prepared!

I also discuss how easy it can be to become fearful in the workplace, questioning our own skills and experience – and how we can overcome that. Click on the link below to listen.

https://www.shareradio.co.uk/podcasts/track-record-ebony-gayle-13-apr-18/PodcastPlayer

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