World Mental Health Day Chat With Tony Pearson 1st Nov 2024 Posted by Alice Ewens on 1st Nov 2024 Facebook Instagram Pinterest Linkedin In today’s fast-paced world, the significance of discussing mental health openly, both at work and at home, cannot be overstated. At Furniturebox, we’re proud that we foster an open and supportive culture where every team member feels valued and heard. We believe that by encouraging honest conversations about mental health, we can create a more inclusive and empathetic environment for everyone. On World Mental Health Day (October 10 th) we were honoured to have Tony Pearson, co-founder of BJS Home Delivery and recently of mental health advocacy company ‘Fliqer’, join us as a guest speaker. Tony shared his journey of overcoming mental health challenges following a serious accident that left him paralysed. His story is a powerful reminder of resilience and the importance of support systems in navigating life’s toughest moments. Tony Talks To Furniturebox About His Role As A Motivational Speaker The Importance Of Open Conversations About Mental Health Furniturebox invited Tony so we could listen to his story and see how he approached his challenges, but more important, he says, is, “how I’ve opened up to people, to support me and help me. Because we’re not on our own. “Once you realise it’s not just you in the arena, it’s not such a lonely place.” The takeaway for the Furniturebox team is realising that not every disability is visible and that struggling with your mental health absolutely constitutes a hidden disability. We really have no idea what’s going on with anyone, so we should take it as a daily challenge to just be as nice as we can to everyone we interact with. Tony definitely made quite the impact on the team. What The Furniturebox Team Had To Say Arthur, Marketplace Executive: "Tony’s story was incredible and really helps puts things into perspective. It was great to remind everyone to talk to each other, to share." Zak, Systems Administrator: “It really struck me that Tony’s got a very visible disability, but actually we could have many people in the office that are struggling, and they might look ‘fine’, and it’s really hard to tell who’s go issues. Even if it’s just a one-off ‘Hello, how are you?’, you never know how much of an impact that can make on someone’s life.” Mel, HR Manager: "You never know what’s coming next. You can’t take life for granted. Life’s too short and you’ve just got to grab it with both hands.” Hattie, Marketing Manager: "I found it quite comforting to hear perspective from someone who’s gone through an incredibly tough time, especially how you keep yourself positive afterward… listening to someone else who’s gone through trauma albeit differently [to mine], listening to how they find talking about it with other people, how they try to see the positivity, to kind of push them through, and recover, I found really comforting." How Can You Support Your Colleagues With Their Mental Health? Tony says, “Even if you don’t know [the details], support everyone through the way you behave with them, the way you listen to them, the way you talk to them. But if they open up to you, then you’ve got to listen and be serious about your role in supporting them.”Our Final Thoughts We would like to thank Tony for taking time to speak to us all. His openness and for his powerful words that resonated with us all. By embracing openness and support, we can break down the stigma surrounding mental health and ensure that everyone feels safe to share their experiences and seek help when needed. At Furniturebox, we’ll continue to champion mental health awareness and create a workplace where everyone can thrive.About The AuthorRelated Content Supporting Julia’s House This Christmas Furniturebox is glad to be supporting Julia's House, a Wiltshire-based children's hospice, with its Christmas campaign in 2023 [ read more...] Our September Charity Of The Month: Royal Papworth Hospital Charity This September, we donated £10 from every single website purchase to the Royal Papworth Hospital Charity and raised a whopping £14,330! [ read more...]
