How can you incorporate mental health support into creative project planning?

I think a great way for a project is to have trained mental health first aiders, who are able to spot key signs, and be a general sounding board when needed. Post pandemic more people have been taking note of mental issues. Think it should be key for mental health first aiders, as it is for a regular first aiders in the work place.

When incorporating mental health support into creative projects, start by understanding participants' needs, assess available resources, establish a feedback mechanism, and integrate educational components. This ensures a holistic approach that promotes well-being and reduces stigma.

Create an open and non-judgmental communication environment. Encourage team members to express their feelings, concerns, and challenges. Establish regular check-ins where individuals can discuss both work-related and personal matters.

I agree - also psychological safe environments is a great way to have those open conversations to help spot sooner when people are struggling. Ensure from the start that everyone who’s who / where they can go for extra support and have a frequent reminder of these resources flowing throughout project. Regular check in throughout the project with opportunities for people to speak openly can help.

Prioritize mental health by promoting open communication, setting realistic deadlines, allowing breaks, and encouraging a supportive team environment. Integrate mindfulness practices, offer flexibility, and be receptive to individual needs. Recognize achievements and provide resources for stress management. Incorporate mental health discussions into project meetings, emphasizing the importance of well-being for creativity.

Tenemos que considerar que salud mental es un pilar importante para la ejecución de cualquier actividad. Puntualmente, todos los proyectos de cualquier organización deben considerar que los colaboradores necesitan de un espacio y ambiente sano para dar su 100%. Cuando los líderes son capaces de reconocer ello, ser empáticos y flexibles, es mucho más probable que el colaborador tenga un mejor desempeño.

Incorporating mental health support into creative project planning is crucial for fostering a positive and sustainable work environment. Begin by adopting flexible schedules that accommodate individual needs, promoting a healthier work-life balance. Establish an atmosphere of open communication, encouraging team members to discuss mental health concerns openly and without judgment. Set realistic project deadlines to alleviate stress and prevent burnout, ensuring that the creative process remains fulfilling rather than overwhelming. Introduce wellness breaks during intense work periods, allowing team members to recharge and maintain their mental well-being.

Incorporating mental health support into creative project planning is crucial for fostering a positive and sustainable work environment. Begin by adopting flexible schedules that accommodate individual needs, promoting a healthier work-life balance. Establish an atmosphere of open communication, encouraging team members to discuss mental health concerns openly and without judgment. Set realistic project deadlines to alleviate stress and prevent burnout, ensuring that the creative process remains fulfilling rather than overwhelming. Introduce wellness breaks during intense work periods, allowing team members to recharge and maintain their mental well-being.

When setting goals for mental health in creative projects, make them measurable, feasible, relevant, and flexible to ensure meaningful impact.

Incorporate mental health support into creative project planning by fostering an open environment, encouraging breaks, and providing resources for well-being.

Definir las metas y los objetivos es la clave de cualquier estrategia. No es fácil encontrar el púnto de equilibrio donde las metas no sean alcanzadas rápidamente o imposibles de cumplir. En ambos casos, esa meta, ese objetivo, se convierte en un elemento desmotivador que atenta contra el éxito del proyecto.

Además de establecer metas, una planificación realista en cuanto a tiempos evitará que exista estrés. Ya que cada proceso tendrá su tiempo y sus propios objetivos.

Incorporate a feedback loop in your creative projects to gather insights and adapt strategies for mental health support. Encourage open communication, and seek support from stakeholders, participants, or mental health professionals to enhance the effectiveness of your initiatives.

Embedding techniques of mindful breathing and normalising moments to pause when things get overwhelming are a great way to support self care

Prioritize self-care in the context of creative projects by setting boundaries, taking breaks, and acknowledging personal well-being. Incorporate activities that promote relaxation and recharge to maintain a healthy balance between work and self.

Embrace uncertainty and view failure as a learning opportunity in creative projects. Cultivate a mindset that values resilience, adaptability, and growth, allowing for exploration and innovation even in the face of challenges.

Creativity and innovation thrive in the realm of uncertainty and failure. Embrace these as opportunities for profound learning and growth, rather than fearing rejection, criticism, or mistakes. Understand that failure is not a measure of your worth or capability; it's an intrinsic part of the creative process. Let each setback be a stepping stone toward refining your skills, strategies, and solutions, transforming challenges into catalysts for progress.

Assess each team members tolerance for ambiguity (uncertainty, contradiction, change) and risk. Colleagues with a lower tolerance will be more likely to feel anxious in response to uncertain conditions, fast timelines, or shifting variables. Design your team, work flows, and assignments based on who will be acutely stressed by uncertainty vs. find it energizing.

Jeff Bazos described the creation and development of Amazon as a long series of mistakes. He is still making more mistakes, learning from them and growing. If you fall down GTF up, notice the branch that knocked you off your horse and avoid it. This is how all humans learn, but it is doubly true for anyone involved in innovation; for now you get to be the first who goes down a new path (with lots of new branches)... But like Bazos, there are the greatest rewards and discoveries down those new routes. Remember this when ever you fall down, and feel sorry for people who never try new thing for fear of failure.

Nuestra sociedad ve al fracaso como algo negativo. Y eso es una terrible trampa; si no se "tiene éxito", si no "se sale primero" es un fracaso. Eso es falso. Es claro que el campeonato lo gana uno, hay sólo un lugar para el "primero"... pero ¿el resto son "fracasados"?. No, claro que no; simplemente uno termina primero y sale en la foto. En publicidad es normal trabajar en equipo -dentro de la agencia y con el cliente-, y en el resultado final colaboraron varios participantes, sin embargo decimos: "el éxito es mio y el fracaso es tuyo", dando a entender que si las cosas salen bien es gracias a mi pero yo no fracasé si sale mal. Lamentablemente el "fracaso" está mal visto y no se lo toma como lo que es: un gran aprendizaje

Celebration of successes, even small ones, is a fundamental principle of Kaizen, the Japanese philosophy of continuous improvement. Small wins, big impact. Celebrating these small successes reinforces the positive behaviours that lead to those improvements. Recognition of achievements, no matter how small, fuels motivation and builds confidence. Celebrating team wins together fosters a sense of camaraderie and shared purpose. This creates a positive and supportive environment that keeps everyone moving forward. This keeps teams moving forward and tackling even bigger challenges, just like a series of successful Kaizen events that can lead to a major transformation.

I was asked to talk about my best artistic creation... Looking back on my 7000 collection of personal works, I said my favorite piece was the one I haven't created yet. It is absolutely true. Your greatest achievement is still to come, and that makes life more exciting than the day before.

El éxito obtenido es importante celebrarlo, en especial, si es un logro en equipo. Toda celebración fortalece vínculos, motiva, da perspectiva. El reconocimiento monetario siempre es bienvenido, pero es efímero, sin embargo, la "celebración de un logro" es recordada para siempre. En la agencia, esos logros, permanecen colgados en las paredes o en forma de trofeos, pero eso es sólo la recordación, el momento del abrazo, del bríndis, del salto, siempre es recordado y motiva a seguir por ese camino.

Empathy is the key: While planning, include the team members and understand their perspective. Ask questions to yourself like- If I were a team member, would I be comfortable with such aggressive deadlines? Mental Health is all about mind, and the first step in ensuring peace of mind is to listen and have compassion!

Begin by establishing an open communication culture where team members feel comfortable discussing their well-being. Prioritize realistic timelines, avoiding unnecessary pressure. Encourage breaks and mindfulness activities to enhance focus and reduce stress. Additionally, celebrate achievements collectively, reinforcing a positive environment. Enhancing team satisfaction is imperative and elevating creativity through a healthier and more supportive work atmosphere is the key.

Everything, that helps your self management helps your mental health - also in projects: 1. Know your purpose 2. Know your values 3. Know the purpose and the underlying goal for the project 4. Get your priorities straight (consider your values and goals; use e.g. Eisenhower-Matrix, Pareto, decide what you will not do / cross undone things from your ToDo list if they are not really necessary) 5. Plan (use e.g. top-Down work packages structure, forward planning and backward planning (both, not just one of those), ALPEN-method) 6. Be kind to yourself/ nobody is perfect (adapt the plan, if you see it’s not realistic; note the things you got done and the goals you reached and so on) 7. Communicate your limits