blog/im-back-lets-talk/

[giscus[bot]]

blog/im-back-lets-talk/

You will have noticed that there haven't been any updates on Cloud With Chris for some time. I've also been quiet on social media. For any of my colleagues, you may have seen that I've had time away from work by my out of office messages. In this blog post, I want to open up about my recent challenges and have an honest discussion. Whether you've experienced mental health challenges before, are currently going through tough times, or haven't experienced any and don't quite understand - I hope that me sharing this helps. We're going to be talking about mental health.

https://www.cloudwithchris.com/blog/im-back-lets-talk/

[chrisreddington]

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Please keep the discussion on topic with the post.

[gvnshtn]

Love the term 'Omnivert', definitely relate to that! I've found it far too easy to get overrun with positivity and 'be your best self' in amongst the torrent of pressures both internal and external, work and personal. Especially these days, it can get too much. Us men are known for not speaking out and it makes a difference when you do. I've only recently realised, that as much as I love seeing the content that all the collective talent in our industry puts out there, it can make me feel overwhelmed, and incredibly inadequate. Only in the last couple of years I've started to listen to the positive voices around me. While I'm telling myself I'm not good enough, people have been saying incredibly positive things. And that should matter more to me rather than the voices inside my own head beating me up. Coupled with some grief I was dealing with, and COVID, yeah - it's a challenge. But like you I'm incredibly fortunate in all kinds of ways and I'm mindful of that every single day. We get one chance on this little blue orb and it's up to each of us to give it our best. So I mostly keep things to myself - we're all on that journey, and everyone has their own struggles. But I've also found it difficult to hit a good set of habits in terms of physical exercise, although I am going out for my first MTB ride of the year on Sunday so fingers crossed that turns into something regular. Anyway, the important thing is to show empathy, and be an ally. And by sharing this, you've done exactly that. Cheers 🙏

[kilasuit]

Thank you @chrisreddington for sharing this incredibly deep and detailed post. As somone who can say "has been there too" I know just how hard it can be to got through it and also to sit there and either talk or write about it & reading this has reminded me that I need to write a few similar posts to your recent ones, now that my blog site is all newly refreshed good to go!

If you ever want someone to talk to then drop me a DM on twitter 👍🏻

[chrisreddington]

Thanks for sharing Chris. ❤

Thank you Sarah :) <3

[chrisreddington]

Love the term 'Omnivert', definitely relate to that! I've found it far too easy to get overrun with positivity and 'be your best self' in amongst the torrent of pressures both internal and external, work and personal. Especially these days, it can get too much. Us men are known for not speaking out and it makes a difference when you do. I've only recently realised, that as much as I love seeing the content that all the collective talent in our industry puts out there, it can make me feel overwhelmed, and incredibly inadequate. Only in the last couple of years I've started to listen to the positive voices around me. While I'm telling myself I'm not good enough, people have been saying incredibly positive things. And that should matter more to me rather than the voices inside my own head beating me up. Coupled with some grief I was dealing with, and COVID, yeah - it's a challenge. But like you I'm incredibly fortunate in all kinds of ways and I'm mindful of that every single day. We get one chance on this little blue orb and it's up to each of us to give it our best. So I mostly keep things to myself - we're all on that journey, and everyone has their own struggles. But I've also found it difficult to hit a good set of habits in terms of physical exercise, although I am going out for my first MTB ride of the year on Sunday so fingers crossed that turns into something regular. Anyway, the important thing is to show empathy, and be an ally. And by sharing this, you've done exactly that. Cheers 🙏

Thanks Gavin, and for also sharing your experiences :) You raise a great point on creating content, and the overwhelming feeling in our industry - And I agree! I think for me, the thing that I've kept trying to center on (and been coaching some of my mentees on) is about staying grounded in the 'why' of what you're doing. That way, we can make sure we're doing it for the right reasons, and enjoyment - rather than feeling like a slog, or a second job :)

[chrisreddington]

Thank you @chrisreddington for sharing this incredibly deep and detailed post. As somone who can say "has been there too" I know just how hard it can be to got through it and also to sit there and either talk or write about it & reading this has reminded me that I need to write a few similar posts to your recent ones, now that my blog site is all newly refreshed good to go!

If you ever want someone to talk to then drop me a DM on twitter 👍🏻

Thank you Ryan, really appreciate the comment :) And likewise, only ever a DM away if you ever want to chat!