Why we need to be kinder

Please pause today and take a read of these (Australian) statistics:

1 in 2 people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime (more)

1 in 5 will have a mental health issue in their lifetime (more)

1.4 million people have PTSD at any one time (more)

1 in 4 people will have anxiety (more)

1 in 6 women and 1 in 8 men will experience some level of depression (more)

1 in 10 fathers will experience postnatal depression (more)

1 person dies from suicide every 16.2 minutes (more)

1 in 3 women has experienced physical violence since turning 15 (more)

1 in 4 women lose a child (more)

and this list continues…

People come in to work every day, even though they’re struggling with something they don’t tell you or anyone else about. You can safely assume that someone is going through stuff in your team right now. No need to wonder who is going through what, chances are you would be wrong anyway. The idea is to be aware that you may not have the full story.

Always be a little kinder than you think you need to be. With everyone. Every day.