Written by: Mahlet Sintayehu, Public Relations Student at Ryerson University, Professional Development Sub-Committee Member, CPRS Toronto
The CPRS Toronto Society recently wrapped up a free event entitled “2021 Reset: Member Survival Guide,” moderated by CPRS’s Director of Social Affairs Robert Plant. The event kicked off with a presentation from inspirational author and life coach Carol-Ann Hamilton, who offered attendees practical tools to help combat mental burnout amidst the ongoing pandemic.
Carol-Ann explained how often, the goals and resolutions we create for ourselves feel like a laundry list of to-do’s and argued that creating intentions is a more effective and efficient way of obtaining our desired outcomes. Although these three terms share similarities in meaning, it is a well-thought-out intention that allows one to understand the underlying purpose behind your desired outcomes, answering the question, “why am I actually doing this?”
Next, Hamilton introduced her stress management method, which she bases on practicing what she calls “energy mastery.” According to her research, out of the 60,000 to 75,000 thoughts we have in a day, roughly 77% of those thoughts, are counter-productive in some form or another. She dispelled ideas typically held amongst working professionals that productivity and efficiency are opposites to leisure time and self-care. One of the biggest takeaways of the event is that taking more time for ourselves will greatly aid in the inspiration and execution of our work. Engaging in extreme self-care is NOT selfish.
“We attract people and circumstances aligned with the energy that we put out there. If we put out positive, we get out positive, and vice versa.” – Carol-Ann Hamilton, Inspirational Author and Life Coach
She concluded her presentation by discussing the process of career and life planning, more specifically, if it is even possible to formulate a plan in 2021. She argues that thinking about your big “why” based on what is truly meaningful to you is the first step to appropriate career and life planning. She argues that unless one considers what nourishes them first, any planning will not prevail. Finally, she challenged attendees to start this process by thinking about what is important to us as individuals, what qualities we would like to embody, and what we must let go of as it no longer serves us.
The conversation continued with a panel discussion and Q+A with Elizabeth Axiak, the host of “Living Intentionally with Elizabeth,” and Craft PR Intern Robert Van Horne sharing their tips on being mindful and grounded while living busy lives. Adding to Carol-Ann’s points on self-care, Elizabeth did a fantastic job of emphasizing that self-development must come from a place of compassion, as she understands the tendency for PR professionals to prioritize clients and employers over their own total wellness. Robert used his years of experience in management, sales and event planning to articulate that we must be honest about what we’re experiencing as we adapt to our current times. Van-Horne provided attendees with practical tips to help maintain a healthy work/life balance during this period of working from home, like creating different spaces designated for working and resting, and closing your laptop when finished work to signal the end of a work-day.
“Ask yourself, ‘Am I waiting until it’s a problem to admit that I’m having trouble adapting, or am I being proactive and giving myself a chance to deal with the issue?” – Robert Van-Horne, PR Intern, Craft
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