Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/1120507
5 situations in a different context — it gives you the ability to look at the same situation in a different way." When people are laughing, they're fully in the moment. Shared laughter creates a sense of trust and belonging, and leaders play a vital role in setting the tone. "You have to be a positive person to lead people," she says. "I think there's an underlying fear that when we are humorous we are not professional, that when we are humorous we're not productive. This is an old mindset; this is an old way of doing business. "There is way more to the humour than meets the ear. Humour is the power behind our personal and professional transformations," she says. "We have so many people who are struggling with mental health and I think part of it is we are suppressing our emotions. When we are able to laugh, we are also able to cry, and both are very healthy." Dove's message clicked with Robyn Priest, a mental health and peer support expert who participated on SHEday's Dimensions of Wellness panel. "That's part of what I do in any of my training; it's about humour," says Priest, an Australian who moved to Winnipeg in September 2018. "People get so serious about mental health and sometimes we have to be able to laugh." Co-creator with business partner Charlotte Sytnyk of Robyn Priest: Live Your Truth, Priest says we should all feel comfortable talking about our mental health every day. "People are nervous about, 'I don't know what to say and do,' " she says. "A mate of mine in New Zealand developed the most amazing set of toolkits that are conversation guides about a whole range of mental health issues. We sell these in North America and are making a huge difference in schools, workplaces and with families." When people who are living with anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and other mental health issues feel supported in the workplace, they're more productive, engaged and happy. And it pays to understand and appreciate the different assets they can bring to the table. "We do a great exercise with our clients around negatives to strengths which is about, 'Look what we can do and do it great!' " Priest says. "People who have experience with mental health issues can make amazing employees. Even if you think about OCD, people who can be very detailed are great at certain jobs," she adds. "We've just written a big training package for a corporate client and I had someone who has OCD look through that manual because they'll pick up all the little things that maybe a bigger-picture person wouldn't pick up." "Out and proud" about her own biopolar diagnosis, Priest has travelled the world, sharing her expertise and experience with others. She's living her truth, and she encourages others to do the same. "Often people tell us what we can or can't do, or say if we just take medication we'll be better. Most of the time we do actually have a sense of what might work, what we want our life to look like," she says. The messages are rich and abundant at SHEday and every participant takes something different from the day. Robyn Priest summed it up well saying, "People really can live the life they want, go after what they want and it's just about dreaming and going after that dream." ❚ "People really can live the life they want, go after what they want and it's just about dreaming and going after that dream."