#peer-support

#peer-support

Most people know what a difficult day at work feels like. It can be tiring, draining and tense, leaving you unable to switch off. But there are also days when work feels lighter and more energising. These good days are not necessarily defined by big wins or major achievements. In fact, they tend to come from harmonious experiences in the workplace that support our psychological needs.

I was absolutely thrilled to become a mother and I loved taking care of my baby. At the same time, though, some of those late nights breastfeeding her during those first six months were some of the loneliest and most desperate hours of my life. I had never been so tired. In the dark of my daughter's nursery, it sometimes felt like I was the only awake adult on the planet.

David O'Donnell from Ballina in Co Tipperary said the alarm was raised by his parents when they found their then two-and-a-half-year-old son could not speak or move the right side of his body as he lay in his cot. "Doctors had no explanation of a child this young coming in with a stroke and told my parents this.They couldn't find any clear reason."

Wouldn't it be great if there was something like this for grieving parents who feel like they're drowning? Well, there is, and it starts with you. Once you've been through what you've been through, you're as much of an "expert" on how to cope with your grief as I am. You've learned so much and now it's time for the final lesson: paying it forward and helping other bereaved parents navigate the long road ahead of them. Who knows this rocky terrain better than you?

When Ilona suddenly lost her husband to suicide six years ago, she was heading the customs department of a medium-sized company. Distracting herself with work helped her to bring a sense of normality back into her life, she recalls. Ilona quickly realized that she wouldn't be able to cope with her loss alone so she sought help. A neighbor told her about a support group in Berlin. There, she met Patricia, who's been the group's volunteer leader for over 10 years.

Work is filled with contradictions and disruptions these days, and the uncertainty can make the workplace feel like a constant emergency. As a result, people are stressed, pessimistic, and pulling back from their organizations-but they're not disconnecting from each other. Our new research shows that, even under tremendous pressure, employees are "quiet connecting": helping each other regardless of what's happening at the company level. Organizations would do well to recognize and strengthen these organic bonds because they can serve as a powerful counterforce.

For parents of school-age children, this time of year is all about new beginnings: new teachers, new routines, and the hope that our kids are set up for success. Parents often feel a sigh of relief when summer ends and the house is quieter. But just because the kids are out the door doesn't mean the stress of parenting goes away.

Teen friendships are essential for emotional development, providing a sense of belonging and healing uniquely different from adult support.