Take a 10-minute break

It’s mental health awareness week and the CIPR has launched a new campaign #InfluenceTakes10 encouraging PRs to take a break to focus on their mental wellbeing.

The campaign is writ large throughout the latest issue of Influence magazine, which has three mental health-focused articles as well as a spread where it takes 10 itself.

Alongside the campaign, the CIPR has published a breathing exercise video, encouraging people to breathe in as the shape grows, and out as it shrinks.

It will also host a Twitter chat on mental health in PR tomorrow, Wednesday 15 May, at 12:30pm., with insight from Emma Mamo, head of workplace wellbeing at mental health charity Mind.

Emma Leech, president of the CIPR said: ‘This year’s State of the Profession research lifted the lid on the scale of the mental health challenge facing our industry. Almost a quarter of respondents said they’d taken sickness absence on the grounds of stress, depression or anxiety and there was evidence to suggest the nature of PR work contributes directly to poor mental health.

‘This is a business-critical issue. We can and must do more to support our colleagues. #InfluenceTakes10 is about taking time out from our busy working lives and having open and honest conversations about mental health.’