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Mental Health in Public Relations

Posted on Jul. 8, 2022  /  Subscribe 0

In PR, we know there will always be crises, long hours and unpredictable projects. Despite these challenges, taking care of mental health should always be a priority. I’ve been spending a lot of my time lately doing introspective work on my values and goals, both personally and professionally while keeping mental health top-of-mind. Here are a few of my takeaways:

Introspection

• I’ve been doing a lot of journaling to get to know myself better and figure out what makes me, me. In doing this exercise, I’ve been pondering questions like the following:
• Personal: 
• What are my values? 
• What ‘fills my cup?’
• What matters most to me?
• What does a successful life look like?
• Who do I admire and why?
• Who makes me a better person?
• Professional: 
• How do my values align with my work?
• How do I best learn?
• What culture works best for me?
• What’s the ideal ratio of collaboration vs. independent work?
• What work makes me most fulfilled?
• What's my ideal work-life balance?

Boundaries

An evaluation of personal, physical and emotional boundaries is another important step to considering a mentally healthy life. Below are some examples from the Harvard Business Review.

• What time you will start and end work.
• Response times for emails and messages.
• Calendar blocks for focused work or “no meeting” time.
• The frequency and duration of breaks during the day.
• Resource or training requirements needed to do your job.
• The type of work you enjoy doing the most and what you have bandwidth for.

Clear is Kind

As my idol Brenee Brown would say, “Clear is kind.” By communicating what you need clearly with those in your personal and professional life you can have more impactful relationships. 

Resources

Mental health looks different for everyone. If you need additional resources please consider the following metro Detroit organizations.

• Common Ground
• Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network
• Macomb County Community Mental Health
• Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
• Oakland Community Health Network

Bonus national resources:

• National Alliance on Mental Health
• The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached at 1-800-273-8255.

I hope you’re prioritizing your mental health as well as the mental health of your team. 

Megan Bonelli is the 2022 PRSA Detroit Secretary.

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