Reflecting on World Mental Health Day - October 2023

Over the years being a member of the RICS and particularly in my term as your East of England Board member I have had the opportunity to be a part of something very meaningful, meeting new people and making strong, supportive surveying friendships here in the East. These have been difficult years for most of us in one way and another and I am grateful for those who have held me up in the times when I felt like breaking down. Without the support of the Surveyorhood, my construction colleagues and Lionheart I am not so sure I wouldn’t have descended into the darkness, that so many will recognise. Whilst we may have struggled as individuals, we have also seen that in difficult times, our surveying community has really come together in supporting one another.

We all walk different pathways as Surveyors, some of you may work alone, maybe away from home, some of you will be working outdoors, some in an office. Some of you will just be starting out, some mid-career, whilst others will be at the end of theirs. We will all experience difficulties at times, whether they occur in the workplace or at home and the same issue may affect each of us in different ways and at different times, whether it be a small inconvenience or completely overwhelming. We are all different, with different understandings and outlooks, shaped by our own unique experiences. These are uncertain times, and if Brexit, a global pandemic, wars, the cost of living and the effects of climate change were not enough, it also appears that the industry is in turmoil too. Workloads are increasing and bottom lines are shrinking, but this too shall pass and until it does, we need to support and be supported. There is help out there for those who need it and a professional community willing to listen.

On October 10^th we marked World Mental Health day, but this year just days before, a former colleague had his darkest day and decided to end his pain, taking his life on the construction site he had been working on. For the ones who found him, his colleagues, his family and his friends, the pain is only just beginning, the torment of thinking how we could have prevented it. This article is dedicated to him, those who he has left behind, and to anyone struggling to find hope.   

At times like these we reach out to one another and ask “are you ok?”

How many times have we ourselves been asked that question and responded with “yes” or gave a nod? Maybe, we even smiled when we were secretly struggling on the inside. We may think that our worry is insignificant or not wish to burden colleagues, friends and family members who have their own struggles, but in doing so we are just modelling that “it’s not ok, to not be ok”. In being a little more open we become a little more accepting, in being a little vulnerable we become a little stronger, and when we reach out a hand for help we reach out a hand of connection. As one surveyor to another, I will listen to you without judgement, without taking on your struggles as my own, or trying to give advice, I will just be with you, but I am not alone. Lionheart are there for us all and our families, they can provide immediate support, no matter how small the challenge, or how big the crisis. They have a dedicated helpline and provide a range of webinars available free to stream on everything from finance to career, personal development, health and wellbeing. Please look out for yourself, and each other, do not hesitate to reach out for help if you need it. We are all human, we can be vulnerable, we can struggle to see how things will get better, but we are surveyors, we are supported and things will get better when we come together. 

Further information can be found on the website: https://www.lionheart.org.uk/ or by calling the LionHeart Helpline UK: 0800 009 2960 or +44 (0)121 289 3300