LionHeart Talks… Resilience and mental health

One month before she sat her APC towards the end of 2020, graduate surveyor Sophie Clarke took her own life.

Although she had experienced periods of anxiety and low moods, there was absolutely no sign just how much Sophie was struggling, and for her many loved ones her heartbreaking decision came like a bolt out of the blue.

In this episode, our host Jo Grant is joined by Sophie’s father Rupert Clarke, also a property industry professional and now founder of the Mental Health and Resilience Foundation, a charity established in Sophie’s memory that her family hope will leave a lasting and positive legacy.

We talk about:

• Why is it important to connect the word ‘resilience’ when thinking about our mental health – and what difference it can make
• Learning to ride the waves: “Don’t judge me by my successes, but how many times I fell over and got back up.”
• Resilience in young people and early career professionals
• How better resilience could support the millions of people who struggle with anxiety
• The early plans Rupert and LionHeart are formulating to build better resilience within property firms

Useful links:

Find out more about LionHeart’s mental health support, including counselling

Read our counsellor’s blog, Looking after your mental health in turbulent times

Watch our recorded webinar, Moving on from setback or disappointment

Sign up to get the LionHeart newsletter

Around 15 million people in the UK (about a quarter of the population!) live with a long-term health condition, so you’re not alone – although it often feels that way.

Our host Lucy Wright and LionHeart ambassador and surveyor, Derek Carter, talk about what it’s like to go from living a busy, active working and personal life to being told you’ve got a health condition that’s not going to go away.

We talk about:

• · The challenges of living with an ‘invisible’ illness
• · Joining the dots and getting a diagnosis
• · Acceptance (and the spoons theory)
• · Balancing the need to be informed – but not falling into the Doctor Google rabbit hole
• · The importance of support networks, and how LionHeart was able to help Derek

Useful links:

Find out more about how LionHeart can support people through ill-health

Sign up to get the LionHeart newsletter

Read Derek’s blog, Living with an invisible illness

Read Lucy’s blog, Learning to go gently

Having your own inner critic is bizarrely not always a bad thing. What was once hard-wired into our brains as a survival mechanism can actually help us to succeed and improve – but only if we use it well.

Our host Melissa Gough Rundle is joined by one of the LionHeart trainers, Isabelle Fielding, who is a coaching psychologist and consultant specialising in working with people and organisations on behaviour change, for this episode on letting go of your inner critic. We talk about:

• How self criticism shows up – aka the “vulnerability hangover”
• Why we often judge ourselves more harshly that we would anyone else
• How, left unchecked, your inner critic can destroy your confidence and stop you from doing things you really want to
• Techniques you can use to quell your inner critic (without getting rid of it altogether)
• When to consider professional help

Useful Links

You might also be interested in our Beyond Imposter Syndrome webinar recording

Find out more about LionHeart’s work-related support

Sign up to get the LionHeart newsletter

As recommended by Isabelle, find more resources on self-compassion on Kristin Neff’s website