For someone who suffers with depression, life is full of awkward or painful juxtapositions. Times when you are sat in the dark whilst others feel bathed in light. Times when you need an umbrella to... Read more
Please click on the link below to view the slides and hear the audio from my work life balance session at the Liverpool John Moores Professional Services Conference, 27 June 2019.... Read more
No matter how great your employer or boss is – and I am lucky to work for a great organisation and a brilliantly understanding, flexible and progressive manager – your work-life balance... Read more
To all the dads and grandads out there; happy Father’s Day. Like many people who are reflecting on their paternal relationships today, I am incredibly grateful for the role my dad has played... Read more
It’s always a dilemma. To sit or to stand. To lean on a table or look for a lectern to grab. To walk or stand still. Giving a presentation is one of the things that people label as highly... Read more
Fourteen years ago I had just returned from the trip of a lifetime. Seeing something I thought was impossible. Following in the footsteps of giants. Living a dream. History being made. I was... Read more
In the second half of 2015 I was on top of the world. I was flying high at PwC – on track to become a partner (a goal I had set myself a year before). I was living in a lovely house in Surrey... Read more
I haven’t read Fifty Shades of Grey. Or Lady Chatterley’s lover. Or any of Jilly Cooper’s raunchy romps. But I understand from those who have that they must be read in a covert fashion. Hidden... Read more
Principle 5 Be a planner You don’t go far wrong when quoting Benjamin Franklin. His sage advice, commanderied down the years by boy scouts and football managers alike sets the tone for this post:... Read more
I wrote last week about falling down to earth after feeling like I was making good progress with my mental health; my depression and my anxiety. It has now been a week since my fall – since... Read more
I love horse racing. I love the spectacle. I love the culture of the sport – much of which is deep in the Irish bloodstream. I love the setting and the scenery. I love the characters involved... Read more
If you believe a generation of northern comics, a weekend with your mother-in- law is the stuff of nightmares. It is bound, they say, to induce a bout of depression even in those who don’t have a... Read more
Principle 4 Make the tools work for you When I was growing up and starting to learn all those practical life skills that I wasn’t very good at and have never really used since (painting,... Read more
I encounter three main reactions from people who have read my blog, especially to my candour about my own mental health and some of the detail I have shared about my experiences. A lot of... Read more
Principle 2 Set and keep to boundaries My favourite poet, Robert Frost, once advised us that: “Good fences make good neighbours.” In the quest for the right work-life balance and workplace... Read more
Actions speak louder than words. Put your money where your mouth is. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. In work-life balance terms, the real test of whether you are getting it right can often... Read more
I’m sitting on the train on the way to Gloucestershire. It’s day one of the Cheltenham Festival; the start of the best four days of horse racing to be found anywhere on the planet – aka... Read more
Principle 1 Be honest with yourself As a communications person (obsessive!), I am conditioned to try to come up with short, memorable ways of getting my audience’s attention and keeping it long... Read more
It is a classic first world problem. At a time when millions around the world are still living in extreme poverty and the benefits of globalisation and free trade haven’t even appeared on their... Read more
I am at that age now. A time of my life when I take pleasure in the simple – and some would say boring – things. The early nights – I rarely go to bed after 10:15 unless I watch the... Read more