Ello. No your eyes don’t deceive you. I’ve finally blown the cobwebs off my laptop (@work – I’m joking obviously I use it every day 😉) and kicked my arse into gear to boot this blog back into life.
And for a very good reason, I think.
I’m currently sat in the airport and was perusing Twitter when I came across this report by Prowly that said that 91% of PR people suffer from mental health problems. Comparatively, in the UK in general by the way, that figure is just under 15%.
If anything was going to get the cogs in my brain whirring again after they were just winding down for a long weekend, it was this.
As you know, I’ve always been a big advocate for improving mental health in PR, having developed GAD (Generalised Anxiety Disorder) myself a few years ago thanks to an old employer. As an industry, I feel like we have been doing much more in recent years to combat the problems that are so clearly prevalent. But it seems we haven’t done enough.
I’m a huge believer that small changes can make a big impact, and while I can’t get your boss to lay off the pressure, or ditch that dodgy client for you, what I can do is share some advice from my own experiences, on how to be kind to others in the industry, and just as importantly, be kind to yourself.
First let’s look at some of the other stats from Prowly just to hammer home why we need to think about our actions a little more.
- 60% of PRs say they find making a mistake ‘extremely stressful’
- ‘Too many demands’ is the #1 pain point for comms workers
- 40% of people in the industry experienced burnout in the past year alone
How We Can Make PR A Kinder Place
Common guidance on how to look after your mental health in PR includes adopting a good work-life balance, creating open communication channels and quitting comparing yourself against others. It’s all great advice. What I thought I would share with you this evening, however, is the 3 practical things that I did when I moved from my very toxic job, to what I still think of, after even 4 years, as my ‘breath of fresh air’ job. These 3 simple changes helped me recover so much. I hope you don’t have to use them. But if you do, here they are.
Celebrate achievements, both ways
Fast forward a few years, the most important thing for me when I moved into management was praising my team for their good work. It’s so easy to show emotion when things go wrong – but can you remember the last time you told someone that they were doing a good job?
We’re so accustomed to doing the same kind of things day in, day out, that I think we can forget to celebrate achievements. But why shouldn’t we? PR is a tough, tough job and the work we do deserves to be shouted at. Getting national coverage might be the norm for you. But it’s still an amazing achievement. Don’t forget that!
So boost each other up, but also don’t forget to praise yourself too.
For my own sanity when I moved jobs 4 years ago, I started keeping screenshots of nice things said to me by my managers and colleagues, so I could always read them back to myself on a bad day. We tend to hang on to our emotions about mistakes for so much longer than we do about the wins – try and change that for yourself.
Use your forces for good
Another thing I’m sure I’m not alone in, is that sometimes, feeling that you’re always ‘working for the man’ can cause a bit of a slump. Don’t get me wrong I have great clients and I love helping out their businesses, but also volunteering and supporting charities is a huge thing for me. I have this big thing about giving what I can to people less fortunate than me because I know how lucky I am to have the life that I do, and we can’t help what kind of situation we’re born in to.
Because of this, I do a lot of voluntary work in my personal time. But actually, I was able to bring this across to my working life a few years ago too. When Covid hit, we had some extra capacity, so me and my boss decided we’d give a local cause some free PR hours. We ended up getting them a couple of prime time TV slots and some great national coverage, that raised tens of thousands for the charity. It felt sooooo good and this kind of job satisfaction can really turn it around when it comes to your mental health. If you have the means to help, try to – see how you feel after.
Stop tearing others down
You love the PR Twitter drama, I know you do. We all do. It’s almost like driving past a car crash. You can’t explain why, but you just can’t look away. But sometimes I really have to stop and think as I start favouriting tweets and passively getting involved, what AM I doing?
If we want PR to be a kinder place (because let’s face it, that 91% statistic should HORRIFY you) then this behaviour needs to stop. Naming and shaming luckily seems to have died down recently, but I still see people sharing campaigns and commenting negatively towards them – then inciting more discussions in the comments – all the time.
Fair enough you don’t love it, but imagine that was your work… How it would feel to have people tearing it down on Twitter. Just awful. I’m all for honesty and relevancy in the PR industry, but we don’t need to act as judge, jury and executioner for campaigns that aren’t our own. If something bothers you so much that you simply must say something – why not message the agency instead of instigating a ‘pile on’ on social media?
I’ve been in bitchy working environments before, and let me tell you – talking about others will do no good for your mental health. Try being kinder, talk about the businesses you see doing really cool things. Hell, tell them you love their work! I feel so much better for having this kind of attitude, and I hope you would too.
Sorry that it’s been a while. Thank you as always for reading and for supporting me, and always happy to continue the conversation on my socials. Read my other blogs here whilst you wait for the next one (there will be a next one, promise).
Jessica Pardoe | PR, Marketing and Communications Blogger | See All Posts By Jessica Pardoe 
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