Why Connection is at the Heart of What We Do: Mental Health Awareness Week

This year, the theme of connection couldn’t be more fitting. During our time together at the conference, we spoke about the power of Community, Connection, and Contribution, not just as lofty ideals, but as lived experiences within our nurseries and our business. These words aren’t catchphrases or corporate lingo. They’re the foundations of how we care for each other, and how we build a thriving culture for our children, families, neighbourhoods and teams across our entire business.

The early years sector is filled with deeply passionate people. It is a privilege to be able to lead a business with such strength of passion, purpose and heart. You all show up daily with full hearts and unwavering commitment to the work you do, taking care of children and families and providing vital infrastructure to help society thrive. But it’s also a sector that can take its toll, physically, emotionally, and mentally. That’s why it’s so important that we talk openly about wellbeing. Not just once a year, but as part of how we lead, support, and nurture every day.

Mental Health Awareness Week gives us a chance to pause and ask: Are we really taking care of ourselves properly? Are we creating workplaces where people feel safe to speak, supported to thrive, and do we feel truly connected to a common purpose?

This hit home to me deeply most recently, having read the book Lost Connections by Johann Hari. It explores the real root causes of depression and anxiety, not in the way that we have traditionally viewed mental health challenges, but as the result of lost human connection, disconnection from meaningful work, and a loss of community. These are themes that hit home for so many of us, particularly in a post COVID world.

The work you do in our nurseries every day, is the antidote to disconnection. You create space for joy, for care, for real human interaction and for nurturing and nourishing the children in our care. You provide support and community for our families and hold space for those navigating the deeply human emotions of worry or guilt. But to keep doing that brilliant work, we must all ensure we take some time to nurture and nourish ourselves too.

This Mental Health Awareness Week, I invite each of you to find a pocket of time in your day to reconnect; with yourself, with each other, and with the purpose that brought you into early years in the first place. Take the walk. Have the conversation. Make the cup of tea and take the break. Ask for help if you need it. And most of all, know that you’re not alone.

When we prioritise mental, physical, and emotional health, we don’t just feel better, we lead better, care better, and live better.

Adelle Taylor, CEO, The Old Station Nursery