As I said last week, or was it the week before that what I do comes in waves, that It’s just the nature of it. Rather than fill up the gaps in-between the waves and create even bigger waves I appreciate the quite moments — the space to craft, to reflect, to get on-top of things that I’ve ignored so I can focus. But anyway that wasn’t this week, but it wasn’t this week in a very nice and very wonderful way. It also means my recollection form earlier in the week is a little flawed and also gapping so it was helpful to have a chat with Debbie and recall it.
Wednesday
On Wednesday, yes were going to start there, we had our 3rd FFCP Wellbeing Day. We organised the day in quick measure because a colleague, who had moved on to another team about the time I joined the programme took his own life by suicide and National Lockdown because of Covid was extended by four weeks. Another member of our work family lost her life to cancer on Monday, all in all it was an emotional start to the day. As well as being part of the organising group I held a session ‘suicide and us’ and shared my story, which I partially capture in this blogpost
In reading it back I do wonder if I should have said the word suicide, or indeed why I didn’t perhaps then it was just a bit hard too. In preparation for doing the session I found out some more things — I did this course
ZSA Gateway Module (relias.co.uk)
Which Sam Villis pointed me to when we chatted. Its’ part off this very very helpful pack of resources.
One Team Gov Suicide Prevention Resources Pack | by Paul Vittles
Sam also suggested that I don’t hold the space as well as share. Nour Sidawi came to very kindly do that. When I spoke to Janet Hughes and Becky in the lead up to the day Janet remined me to make sure Sally our HR Business Partner was part of the session and I was thankfull that they both were. In prepe I found out some facts and figures so that it wasn’t just a big ball of emotion that I put in the space. It was a hard session but having written the previous blogpost really helped me — not least in that I get names mixed up. Other people shared their stories, and relationships to suicide. I’m not sure if I could have done it in person, but maybe now I could.
I then had a chat with Stefan I nearly cried, but held it together, these are not counselling sessions. I had done all my homework — by the end of the evening I had done the first part of my next bit of homework, it’s a big bit and I’m sure much more on this at another time.
And then we had the first UKGovcamp organisers meetup, I was going to hang up my coat, but Janet and Mustafa have and so I’m not going too — honestly I get the wobbles every year, I think this was the year I going to go through with it, but it isn’t. It was a very energising conversation, I can get quite silly. I do try and keep a lid on it though… try. Amanda is so very good at keeping us all together… many exciting things to come, well #UkGc22 obviously or should that be #uKgC22a and #UKgc22b lots of thinking.
And then I watched the football, we didn’t lose. I wrote a note in my journal and when to sleep.
Not Wednesday
On Thursday I supported Mirren and team at the EDI All Hands, and channelled my inner Graham Norton when giving the results of the Slido poles. I now need to get a drum. Then slowly catching up, prep for Show and Tell, chat with Samha a new mentee who is joining Defra next week. I’m not sure what I said I hope in part it was helpful. I had a Chat with Debbie and she reminded me about what happend Monday which was helpful — thankfully I also emailed everyone after the CoDEC session on wellbeing so I’ll beable to pick that up. It was a good chat, and honest chat. I also added doing a session on the programme Outcomes and Key Results to my stack of postis — which I now have in four piles, things I could do, important notes, stuff about Rebecca joining and things to do with my screen acting as reminders for sessions/events/workshops in the near future. I’m going to hold… hang -on I have that note on OKR’s in the wrong place. Sorted
Where was I? oh yes and today was some prep for interviews next week and as there were as ever lots of other lovely chats, today and through the week. Not so much reading — back to that next week, after the interviews. I’ve set my out of office on for people in Defra.
