Make Your Mind Your Best Tool
Like most of us, my adversity started in my childhood, and the conversation around mental health was never healthy, informed nor progressive. Snapshot: My biological mother suffered poor-ill mental health, and from an early age I learnt silence.
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Homelessness, abuse, academic struggles, low self-esteem as well as a lack of belonging fuelled shame, guilt and fear.
They say stress kills, so does fear
Gemma aims to show individuals and sectors the importance of working on themselves for better interactions, relationships and work outcomes
Dysfunctional relationships became normal; everything was covered with a smile. For me, work was where I thrived, but for many around me, it wasn't even an option. I watched people engage in drug use and other risky behaviours and when I questioned it, I was always told everyone does it. Something needed to change, but everyone was doing the same thing, and for the most part, I felt like the odd one out. But we all had one thing in common; we were all pretending that everything was okay. Then one day.....
A student changed my life without him even knowing it. Working with him, I found a mirror of my life and language for many unexplained thoughts, feelings and reactions to various aspects of my life. At the time, I was working in education, holding DSL (Designated Safeguarding Lead) responsibilities, which allowed me to understand the why behind behaviours that are seen.
The old way was no longer an option
It was here I was set on a therapeutic journey, learning about adverse experiences and the impact they hold on the mind and body. Making sense of stress and trauma responses allowed my to make active choices on choosing healthier choices, both personally and professionally.
With this new-found understanding, I bring challenge and compassion to others to ensure individuals and sectors thrive. My approach is to offer challenge through a compassionate lens of accountability, as well as seeing the person before the objective and performance. ​​​​
HIGH STANDARDS
ACHIEVED THREE MYSTERY SHOPPER, JACK PETCHEY LEADER AWARD AND VARIOUS PERSON ACCOLADES
AGILITY
MY LIFE CHANGED WHEN I BECAME OPEN TO LEARNING OUTSIDE MY REALITY
Sepsis, my biggest adversity
My work history is varied, from education, social care, retail and hospitality. While my personal life was plagued with adversity. At work, I thrived. Within the service space I excelled compared to my peers building strong connections, excellent customer service as well as welfare, pastoral and safeguarding protocols which made me achieve various awards and accolades.
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My personal life was never an excuse for poor standards, but accountability and responsibility to give others the care, compassion or standards I would have liked was paramount.
PROCESSES
EMPOWERING OTHERS TO ADOPT EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE IN APPLICATION, NOT JUST KNOWLEDGE
After surgery - I woke up with a stoma and could not breathe.
On the 1st of November 2023, I woke up at home unable to walk but due to not making the threshold for an ambulance, I ended up with heavy sepsis infection from a perforated appendix that also perforated my bowel.
I didn't learn this until after surgery, also discovering I lost 30% of my lung capacity and gaining a stoma.
After 12 hours of surgery, and not being able to breathe my mindful habits kicked in.
​Mediation in very small bursts, switching off my thoughts to allow the brain the best chance to recover while under so much pressure and stress as I still was infected.
The recovery was hard for so many reasons but I was filled with so much gratitude because surgeons didn't think I would pull through.
The mental demand in recovery outweighed the physical and without the tools I had, I'm not
sure how I would have managed in my recovery and still having a positive mindset.
Having worked in social care for seven years, I was all too familiar with the battle I was about to face: the stigma, the pity, and the cultural shame. My aim of why I share any adversity is to show that having the personal responsibility to keep yourself mentally agile is a personal journey, but one that should not be underestimated.
I became a brand advocate for Salt's Healthcare, which was a decision close to my heart. I wanted to show others, in particular within the Caribbean community, that it's not your adversities that make you, it's how you respond to them
