Heartbreak from the Frontline.

Phoebe Sneddon's Man Ride Story.

By Black Sheep Cycling

October 18^th, 2021

Working in the medical field in current times can be extremely demanding. Losing a close friend to mental health while in this field can be excruciating. Dr. Phoebe Sneddon shares her experience with loss and grief, and imparts her tips for improving your mental health within the workplace.

Having lost a dear friend to suicide in 2019, I was thrust into the heart wrenching hidden world of mental health struggles.

My friend was the life and soul of the party, a real larger than life character and perhaps the last person we expected to end his life. As a doctor I felt an added burden, why hadn’t he come to me? Why couldn’t I have saved him when I have saved many others? Some questions will forever go unanswered.

“Why couldn’t I have saved him when I have saved many others?”

Working in healthcare, particularly during the pandemic, I have seen the strain it has put on many of us. Even those of us who consider ourselves to be tough and resilient. We can all end up in a position where we need to ask for help.

Following on from my friend’s death, I worked hard within my team in the hospital to ensure we have safe places to talk, to have fun, for frivolous activities to bond us together, and take us away from what is often a very physical and demanding job.

We encouraged physical activity and tried to break down some of the barriers that prevent staff from taking time for themselves each day - by building in specific breaks, setting up a cycling group after work, starting a team step challenge between departments. The combination of camaraderie and physically moving your body in the fresh air works wonders and we have some superb feedback.

Cycling has always been an activity I have done for my soul. There are times when it has perhaps done the opposite when prepping for races and big events, but each time I have faced a torrid time at work or in my personal life, cycling has comforted me. After a busy and draining shift to spend even just 45mins to an hour on the bike has my mood transformed - be that outside in the fresh air, or even just working up a sweat on the turbo. I know I am at my most truly relaxed and at peace when out on the bike far from nowhere, no agenda, no pressure, just enjoying the view and letting mother nature work her healing powers.

My 3 Top Tips for improving Mental Health and Morale in the Workplace:

1. Talk Together

Ensure you get together once a day for a chat - work related topics are banned. Find out about your colleagues and share your stories. Creating a safe space to talk on a 1 to 1 basis is also important so that colleagues know they can come to you if they are struggling.

2. Eat Together.

It is well proven that teams that eat together work better together. Communal meals are a long standing human tradition and they can help cohesion as a team. The better you know your team the easier it is to spot if someone is struggling.

3. Move Together.

Encourage your team to be active. Make walking, running and cycling to work as accessible as possible. For those working from home, encourage them by taking a break and getting outside for just 30 minutes a day will likely improve productivity. A bit of friendly competition can work wonders - setting up a step challenge over the course of the week encourages people to get out and get moving, combine their steps together with a reward for the team that has moved the most.