Focus: Mental Health
Mental wellbeing: support yourself and small businesses I
t is now 2021 and while I may have felt that things would get back to normal after 2020, I found the coronavirus pandemic has changed forever the world, my life and the way I live and work. I realised it is not about 2020 is over and done with and now I can get back to normal. 2020 happened but it was now is the past. I managed to get through the challenges and chaos that was thrown my way. I built resilience. I was grateful for being in a place that was safer than most. Putting 2020 into better context helped me address the year and move forward. I now look at 2021 as also being a year of difference. However, I will be in better frame of mind to deal with it and the continuing change. I am constantly working on better mental health for myself. I make this a priority in my life so I can then go about supporting others round me. In 2020 I had the pleasure of continuing my volunteer work with Beyond Blue. One of the great joys in my life. I am blessed to have the opportunity to volunteer with amazing people who are doing such valuable work for Beyond Blue. A significant
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development for small business by Beyond Blue was the launch of an online training course to help small business advisers provide mental health support to business owners impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. I was very honored to be part of the development and then the promotion of this amazing course. The free Mental wellbeing: support yourself and small businesses course was launched at a time when two thirds of Australia’s small business owners report the pandemic has negatively affected their mental health. The course is available nationwide thanks to the support and expertise of Beyond Blue’s Supporting Partners Xero and Go1. Evidence shows many small business owners seek advice and support from trusted advisers including accountants, bookkeepers, tax agents, industry associations and representative bodies who are often the first to notice when a client might be experiencing mental health issues. However, advisers also say they
Tim Hoopmann, Speaker and Trainer Experienced founder with a demonstrated history growing small business. Strong entrepreneurship and professionally skilled in Business Planning, Cloud Technology, Sales, Marketing, and Operations Management. A passion for helping small businesses use technology as a key enabler to increase productivity and decrease costs. A volunteer speaker for beyondblue, an Australian organisation that works to raise awareness of anxiety and depression, reduce the associated stigma and encourage people to get help.
want to know more about the signs to look out for, how to start a conversation with a client they are worried about, and how to connect small business owners to appropriate support. The course, which can be accessed by all business advisers in Australia on Beyond Blue’s Heads Up web site, covers four key topic areas: • An introduction to mental health and how to recognise when someone needs support • How advisers can look after their own wellbeing in the workplace and at home • How to have a conversation with a small business owner you are worried about • How advisers can proactively support small business owners The course is amazing and a great resource to have for you and your teams. It’s a resource that you return to whenever you need to learn a little more about how to take care of yourself and then how to support others. It talks about how advisors should look after themselves first, so they are in the best position to support others. It’s interactive and easy to navigate. It was some excellent practical examples. It has reference to resource materials
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