Big Feels At Work: a podcast for mental health workers

A Board Member With Big Feels

Today’s ep: part two of my conversation with the awesome Erandathie Jayakody. When Erandathie first took a job at one of Australia’s biggest mental health not-for-profits, she never would have guessed that a decade later she’d be on the board of directors. Back then, she was just trying to survive the working week. Check out part one for that story. Here in part two, we cover more of the nuts and bolts of how decisions get made at the highest levels in big mental health organisations, as well as how Erandathie balances all this high-powered work with the need to still look after her energy and mental health. Topics covered: What does a board member even do? How do you avoid getting boxed in as ‘the lived experience person’ on a board? What's the difference between being a Lived Experience Worker and being someone who works in mental health and just happens to have lived experience? How do you do demanding work while also managing your own energy and mental health? Host: Graham Panther. Guest: Erandathie Jayakody. What is this thing? More info here: www.bigfeelsatwork.com Who made this thing? www.bigfeels.club

Feeling like you don't belong at work

“[Hardest thing about working in mental health?] Feeling different from my colleagues. Feeling like I'm too high strung, anxious, or worried about things they aren't worried about.” – Big Feels At Work survey response In this new ep, I share a few thoughts on feeling like you don’t belong at work. Topics covered: Feeling like you don't belong at work Wondering if you’re any good at this (even when there’s strong evidence you are!) How some of us just find it harder to feel like we belong (at work or anywhere) How having an emotional reaction to the work is coded as ‘unprofessional’ What if the self doubt IS the work? ... Sign up for the live event! Our special LIVE AND FREE Big Feels At Work event will happen at 6.30pm on Wednesday December 4th (Melbourne time). On Zoom. Eep! To join us, sign up to the Big Feels At Work mailing list at www.bigfeelsatwork.com

Finding Your Place As A Sensitive Human (With Katie Cowan)

Self-professed 'recovering high-achiever' Katie Cowan on how to navigate big work systems as a sensitive soul. Imagine you’re a high-achiever, kicking goals in a stressful career, but something just isn’t right. You do your best to change the system you’re working in, for others and for yourself, but it doesn’t seem to change anything. Then one day you realise: I can’t do this anymore. So what now?? My guest on this episode is Katie Cowan. Katie describes herself as a “recovering high-achiever”. She was a lawyer, who even started her own legal practice in her 20s. But she is also a deeply sensitive, thoughtful soul. As she describes it now, looking back “I had the intellect but not the constitution for that work”. For Katie, this insight was a hard-won gem that, at first, felt like defeat, but now feels very different. After years out of the workforce forging her own unique recovery path, Katie’s now a coach. She specialises in coaching people who have “particularly intense internal worlds” and often feel like they don’t fit in at work (or anywhere else). Katie’s aim is to help resource these people, because, when they are well supported, Katie says, those are the very people who help resource the rest of the world. Topics covered: – Navigating working in a big system when you’re a sensitive person – The challenge of hiding your struggles in professional settings and its impact on mental health – How Katie tried to change the way the legal profession treats its workers – Recognizing when your chosen career path doesn't align with your internal needs – The importance of building "slack" into work systems for mental wellbeing – "Post-traumatic flourishing" - finding new meaning after major life challenges – Transitioning from a traditional career to one that honors your sensitivity and internal world Content note: there’s a brief discussion in this ep of feeling totally hopeless, to the point of considering life unlivable. (Spoiler alert: that’s not where Katie stays!). Time code is 24:00 to 25:30 if you’d rather skip this bit today :) – Katie’s website: katiecowan.co/ Host: Graham Panther Guest: Katie Cowan What is this thing? More info here: www.bigfeelsatwork.com Who made this thing? www.bigfeels.club – If this ep brings up things you want to talk to someone about, you might consider the following help lines: LIFELINE — 13 11 14 SUICIDE CALL BACK SERVICE — 1300 659 467 BEYOND BLUE — 1300 22 46 36 Or outside Australia search search “the country you’re in” plus “mental health crisis line”, e.g. “Canada mental health crisis line”. More resources listed here, including non-crisis peer support options: www.bigfeels.club/need-to-talk

Am I Too Sensitive To Be A Clinician?

You’re an early career clinician, just learning the ropes. You loved your study, the rich philosophy of the work, but when the work begins, you struggle in ways you didn’t expect to. The work affects you emotionally. But here's the thing. Your colleagues don’t seem to be having the same reactions (at least as far as you can tell). Feedback from clients and colleagues tells you you’re good at your job. But you can’t help wondering, am I just too sensitive for this work? My guest this week is Deanna, an early career social worker with her own lived experience (and fellow Big Feels At Work listener!) finding resourceful ways to navigate the work as a sensitive soul. Topics covered: -- Self-disclosure - can clinicians self-disclose to clients? -- What’s the difference between being a peer worker, and a clinician who happens to have lived experience? -- Wondering if you’re just ‘too sensitive’ for the work (and what you do with that) -- Doubting yourself even when you're doing good work -- How Deanna cultivated a handful of other clinicians who ‘get’ what it’s like to work in this field and have big feels of your own Host: Graham Panther. Guest: Deanna What is this thing? More info here: www.bigfeelsatwork.com Who made this thing? www.bigfeels.club

"Am I too mad to be a social worker?" (with Ant)

"I just remember thinking, who was I to work alongside and support folk and have the answers when I had no clue what I was doing with my own messy, messy stuff?" -- Ant, Social Worker Picture this: You're in your first week studying to be a social worker, carrying years of your own messy mental health stuff, but keeping it well under wraps. And you’re suddenly convinced of one simple truth. You don't belong here. Surely you’re too mad to work in mental health (and you’re about to be found out and shown the door). That's where Ant's story begins - a tale of a career (and a life) filled with several twists and turns over the next two decades. All of which can perhaps best be described as a journey of being more and more honest, and more and more tender. With himself. And with the people he worked with. Topics covered: -- The legacy of growing up with a "mad mum" -- The family/carer role as a “cloak” for your own messy stuff -- Slowly being more honest, with colleagues and with participants -- The power of saying “I don’t know” -- How the Consumer and Hearing Voices movements radically transformed the way Ant saw his own mental health -- Moving from social work to peer work -- Having to step back from work altogether Ant’s instagram: https://www.instagram.com/silverwizard_art/ Host: Graham Panther. Guest: Ant What is this thing? More info here: www.bigfeelsatwork.com Who made this thing? www.bigfeels.club