A few thoughtful places to start.
If you need a little more than a pause, these are a few places to begin. A small collection of support, guidance and helpful resources — chosen with care.
Support now:
- Nabs – Support and advice tailored to people working in advertising, marketing and media.
- Mind – Mental health information and practical support.
- Mental Health UK – Advice, support, and resources.
Career and coaching:
If you’re at a crossroads in your marketing career, it can help to talk things through with someone who understands the industry and the realities of agency and client-side life.
- The Joyful Coach – Find the joy in your personal and professional life.
- IPA Mentoring – If you work in an IPA member agency, their mentoring programmes connect you with experienced people across account management, strategy, creative and leadership.
Useful habits and tools:
Sometimes it’s the small, repeatable habits that make the biggest difference. Here are a few ideas to experiment with in your day.
Mindful breaks
Between intense blocks of work or back-to-back meetings, take 5–10 minutes away from your screen. A short pause to stretch, make a drink, or simply look out of the window can help reduce stress and make the next block of focus feel lighter.
Movement snacks
You don’t need a full workout to feel the benefits of movement. Standing up regularly, walking around the room, or doing a few gentle stretches during the day can boost energy, improve mood and help your body unwind from long periods of sitting.
Digital boundaries
Consider simple boundaries like “Do Not Disturb” hours, muting non-essential notifications, or using focus modes on your devices. Creating clearer lines between work, rest and everything in between can protect your attention and your mental space.
Breathing as a reset
You don’t have to wait until things feel overwhelming to pause. Using a short breathing exercise — like the one on the Breathe page — between tasks or after difficult conversations can help you reset more often and carry less tension forward.
Supportive focus tools
If your attention is constantly pulled in different directions, it can help to use light-touch tools such as website blockers, focus timers or app limits. Framed as support rather than pressure, they can make it easier to give your brain the uninterrupted time it needs. Personally, I use Brick to block applications and sites on my phone when I can do without the distractions.
Need more support?
If things feel overwhelming or unsafe, contact local emergency services or a crisis helpline straight away.
FindaHelpline can be used to find free, confidential mental health and crisis support in your country.
