Peter Pan creator J.M. Barrie once said, “Always be a little kinder than necessary.” An extension of that extra kindness has never been needed more than now, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc across the globe and grinding the events industry to a halt.
As the pandemic continues, so does its negative impact on our mental health and wellbeing. In late November 2020, the Mental Health Foundation found 25 per cent of survey respondents reported feeling lonely in the previous two weeks and almost 45 per cent of the UK population had felt anxious or worried in the previous two weeks.
Panic, fear and dread infested our wellbeing and even the faintest slither of positivity was hard to find. But through it all, moments of kindness and thoughtfulness prevailed and helped us get through some of the darkest days.
In fact, the Mental Health Foundation found 61 per cent of people said that either being kind to others or receiving kindness from others has a positive impact on their mental health.
I experienced an unexpected moment of kindness and was happily reminded that the sun still shines behind the clouds when I received an out of office email from the ever-supportive Helen Moon, founder of EventWell.
It read: “Thanks for dropping by, remember to smile - despite these times we find ourselves in it is still a beautiful day.”
I read it several times and with each, my smile grew wider. Then I read it out loud to my partner, he stopped what he was doing and smiled.
These gentle acts of kindness and compassion are happening across our industry, here are a few examples.
Bade Kizilaslan, communication officer at EuropeanIssuers, shared that “little gestures make the difference, especially now, in a time where we all need some motivation.
“There were many moments in this year where I was feeling depressed or lacked the motivation to go through with my day. In Belgium, we have been living with strict restrictive measures for months, like many other countries.
“I live alone and not being able to meet with friends regularly affected me more than I could think. One of my best friends has an adorable dog, Pauline. She really calms you down. My friend decided to leave his dog with me for a couple of days so that she could keep me company, reduce my feeling of isolation, which she did perfectly. Moreover, she gave me a reason to go out for little walks on cold Brussels days. It was a minor act of kindness, but it helped me get through a rough patch and gave me a reason to start the day.”
Pauline the pupFrom receiving kindness to extending it, Alexandra Martinez, events manager at St. James's Place Wealth Management shares how she tried to help and aid other struggling eventprofs in 2020.
“At the back end of last year, I began to host Zoom Training sessions to teach others everything I had learned through hosting 89 virtual events last year. My aim was to show everyone how they could use these tips to help create a more meaningful experience for them and their clients as well as potentially impact their business.
“Another thing I do regularly is find opportunities to showcase small service businesses to a wider audience, whether that be in creating new opportunities for networking or showcasing their expertise in a small one-hour taster session facilitated by myself. Both of these are examples that go beyond my day to day role but I’d like to think and hope bring joy, positivity and opportunity to others’ lives.”
As the ever-changing current of the pandemic swept across the world, unemployment skyrocketed as businesses shuttered and some unfortunate employees fell between the cracks of being 'eligible' for government schemes. One such unlucky professionals was Carissa Henry.
Unbeknownst to her, Henry picked a luckless time to switch roles and found herself unemployed during the initial months of the pandemic, without any help from the government.
Henry took to LinkedIn to voice concerns, seek employment and rally support, and doing what social platforms do best, her network provided the professional support Henry was in search of.
“I was very overwhelmed by how many people reached out to help me if it was just to tell me to keep going or for referrals for roles they were aware of within their companies.
“I also had people offering to review my CV. My agent Liz from Crone Corkill was amazing. She called me weekly, emailed to check on my mental health, endlessly put me forward for roles and invited me to zoom video calls to help on my job hunts.”
Perhaps somewhat optimistically, I along with many others hoped that at the stroke of midnight on December 31, 2020, the pandemic would magically end and we could get back to normal. But alas, not even a significant date on the Gregorian calendar has that power.
So, as we begin 2021, the kindness we extended to each other in 2020 needs to continue and most importantly, reader, know you aren’t alone in this. There are resources to help you manage and organisations that offer support (listed below).
But look closely at your own networks, because together, we will weather this storm.
HELP
EventWell Pledge - EventWell Pledge offers vital and immediate support to any event professional experiencing personal and financial hardship and is open to anyone working in creative communications, experiential marketing, live and business events, exhibition, hospitality and travel in the United Kingdom (UK) and North America (US and Canada), in response to the global Covid-19 pandemic.
CALM - CALM is the Campaign Against Living Miserably. A charity providing a mental health helpline and webchat.
Stress Matters Buddy Service - Over the past nine months Stress Matters has run a support line and weekly Support Circles to help those that have been badly affected by the pandemic.
A desire to travel led Holly Patrick to the business meetings and events world and she’s never looked back. Holly takes a particular interest in event sustainability and creating a diverse and inclusive industry. When she’s not working, she can be found rolling skating along Brighton seafront listening to an eclectic playlist, featuring the likes of Patti Smith, Sean Paul, and Arooj Aftab.
