A big step forward

Published February 16, 2023 By Matthew Askew – Senior Underwriter, International Property

“Life is hard, just get on with it, things will get better, it could be worse…”

I’ve heard these words like a mantra over a lot of my life, and for the most part I’ve bought into them. I think we all know though, that it can be a little more complicated than that. Life can put a lot of pressure onto us, whether that’s external pressure or pressure we put on ourselves, we feel it acutely and it’s tough. I wanted to take this opportunity to share my thoughts on this matter and highlight some important and incredibly useful support Convex provides for employees to help combat these issues.

“Convex has always been very vocal about supporting employees’ mental wellbeing and we are lucky to have various initiatives and services in place.”

When going through difficult periods, I find the gym invaluable for my mental health and I’m in a much worse place without it. My family, friends and colleagues also give me a sense of clarity and perspective and are always supportive when things get tough. The difficult part though, is balancing all the above, and when life gets busy with work and personal commitments, you sometimes feel like you’re spreading yourself thin and you can’t devote enough time to family, friends and self-care time. Work is incredibly busy, and the landscape has changed since lockdown, making it tricky to find the right work/life balance. I often worry about being too busy and neglecting those important people in my life. On the flip side, I worry about providing the life they deserve, and my work is a huge factor in achieving this. I’m also fortunate that I really enjoy my job, working within a great team and part of an excellent company. This ever-present battle inevitably means that something in my life suffers, and it’s usually the area that I feel selfish for enjoying, such as the gym and this is when things start to take a toll on my mental health. Convex, however, has always been very vocal about supporting employees’ mental wellbeing and we are lucky to have various initiatives and services in place, designed to assist and support in a number of ways. In the past, at previous organisations, I’ve always nodded and made the right noises to support these programmes, but never really engaged with them. Yet, as I’ve got older, I’ve become increasingly interested in the services available, including therapy, though if I’m honest, I had no idea what that process entailed. I didn’t fully understand how it worked, how you found the right person to speak with, what the cost of it was. It seemed to be a minefield and all these questions stopped me from exploring the idea further and I’m sure I’m not the only person who has felt like this. Last October, our People team announced that all Convex staff would have the opportunity to see a company-funded independent therapist, with no strings and no worries about fitting this into your free time as the therapist is based in a private room in the office and it’s completely confidential. I feel very fortunate and proud to work for a company that has put in place such contingencies and useful benefits to support their employees’ mental wellbeing as it isn’t something you expect from your employer, but it really does mean a lot. I have no doubt that this will prove invaluable to us all now and in the future. Well done Convex!