Mark Sham: How to protect and strengthen our mental health in 2020!

ABOUT

WHY DID I PUT THIS WEBINAR TOGETHER?

I don't know about you but I was in such a great place at the start of 2020. I was in the midst of brilliantly executing an 18-month plan at work that I had put my heart and soul into, I had plans to travel all over the world in 2020, and I had every reason to believe that this year was going to be my best yet. And then, what felt like out of nowhere, 2020 was effectively cancelled. In the blink of an eye, most of my confirmed future revenue disappeared in the space of a week and then we were ordered to lockdown here in South Africa. That lockdown has since been extended.

My story is not unique though. And if I'm honest with myself, I still don't have it bad at all compared to so many other people. None the less, I have found myself strapped to a rollercoaster I didn't want to be on and the journey has been filled with every emotion under the sun. On most days, I am accepting of what has happened. And then every so often, I am absolutely down. Then I feel guilty for feeling this way when so many people are in worse positions. And then I crawl out of that hole and I get back to feeling inspired and ready to take on this challenge. This is the cycle of being a human being during a pandemic and I have made peace with the process.

Although humanity will ultimately survive the onslaught of Covid-19, daily life has changed dramatically for people all around the world. Most countries have instituted some version of a lockdown and we are all experiencing a mild form of PTSD because we can't act with the freedom like we once did. Even when the various lockdowns come to an end, it is my belief that normal life won't just start again and we are in for many more rollercoaster rides.

But there is always a way forward and a path toward renewal. We have to believe the future will be better and then work according to that belief. With this in mind, I have put together a webinar to discuss how to protect and even strengthen our mental health during this pandemic. This applies to both our personal lives and our workplace personas.

WHAT WILL BE DISCUSSED IN THIS WEBINAR?

I want to share some of the intense research I have been doing and the daily practices that have made such a difference to my life and the lives of many others that I have been observing. In this webinar, I will be discussing the following points:

• Understanding the mental and emotional impact Covid-19 has had on us do far
• Understanding the effect Covid-19 has had in the workplace
• The four stages of emotions we go through during tough times (and how we hardly settle on one)
• The science and research on happiness during hard times
• The difference between the science and practice of happiness
• How progress and self-improvement are vital during this time
• How to forgive yourself when you go through a slump
• The difference between being positive all the time and being optimistic about the future
• The role that gratitude plays in our mental health
• The psychology of asking for help during tough times
• The weight of our expectations during tough times

Special thanks to WeWork, QuickBooks, Naked Insurance, and Smile Club for helping me make this webinar possible!