A check-in, from one human to another
This isn't a thought leadership post. This is just a check-in.
Yesterday, I learned that someone I knew - a fellow professional in the sustainability risk management space - died by suicide. He was in his 40s, a husband and father. An all-round good man.
I won’t share his name, but I will share my heartbreak.
It’s easy, in our line of work, to become consumed by crises: reporting deadlines, social inequities, governance failures, fragile institutions, supply chain vulnerabilities, Omnibus regulations that don’t serve those they’re meant to protect, a resurgence of Trump-era tariffs destabilising global trade and a broken financial model pretending to be efficient. The stakes are high, and many of us feel the pressure to hold it all together - to show up competent, composed, and mission-driven.
But behind every spreadsheet and strategy document is a human being.
And some of us are not okay.
We’re living in VUCA times (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous). It’s a term that’s become almost cliché in corporate decks. But when you sit with the reality of it, when the ground shifts constantly beneath your feet, you realise that resilience isn’t just a business imperative. It’s personal.
I say this not from theory, but from experience. I’ve lived through things I wouldn’t wish on anyone - rape, homelessness, suicide attempts. I’m still here. Not because I’m unbreakable, but because over time I learned that healing doesn’t demand heroics. It asks for honesty, connection, one small act of defiance against despair.
And more recently, if I’m being honest, it’s been the quiet kind of pain: pouring myself into work I believe in, and watching the market scroll past. Releasing a toolkit that took weeks of soul and precision, and seeing it downloaded by many, but no one starting the conversation. Hearing silence where I hoped for conversation. Wondering if doing the right thing, the hard way, will ever be rewarded. That too, tests resilience. And yet - here we are.
So today’s message is this: Check in. On your team. On your friends. On yourself.
And if you need a few tools to help you navigate the noise, here are some that I’ve been leaning on:
1. The daily grounding question
“What matters most today?”
Not what’s most urgent. Not what’s most performative. What matters most to you, your values, your sanity.
2. The power loop check-in
When your thoughts start spiralling, map this:
What am I thinking?
How does that make me feel?
What action does that lead me to take?
What result is that creating?
Then pause. Look at the loop.
Now ask:
“What would one stage better look like?”
Not a leap to toxic positivity. Just one believable shift upward.
Here’s how that ladder might look:
Default thought: “everything is falling apart” > one stage better thought: “this is tough, but I’ve faced tough things before”
Default thought: “I’m completely failing” > one stage better thought: “not everyone’s ready for real sustainability, but I know this work matters”
Default thought: “no one cares” > one stage better thought: “silence doesn’t mean irrelevance. People are absorbing, even if they’re not responding”
Keep climbing. One rung at a time.
And when you’ve settled on a rung that feels right - in your body as well as your mind - try powerlooping again with the new thought. I’m often amazed at the radical difference in the newer, healthier power loop.
3. Reach, don’t retreat
Isolation lies. It tells us we’re alone, that we’re a burden, that no one would understand. That’s not true. Pick up the phone. Send a message. Let someone know what’s going on beneath the surface.
I know this is not the usual post. There’s no whitepaper. No regulatory analysis. No frameworks.
But maybe today, that’s not what we need.
Maybe what we need is to breathe. To grieve, not just for people, but for the change we keep working toward while navigating the impositions of circumstance - the delays, the distractions, the discouragements. To honour the people doing quiet work in hard places. And to remember that purpose doesn’t have to come at the cost of peace.
If this lands with you - if you’re carrying something heavy right now - my inbox is open.
You are not alone.
Tim
If you need support, here are some places you can turn to:
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Samaritans: Free, 24/7 listening support. Call 116 123 or visit samaritans.org
Shout: Free, confidential 24/7 text service. Text SHOUT to 85258
🇮🇪 Ireland
Samaritans Ireland: Call 116 123 or visit samaritans.ie
Text About It: Text HELLO to 50808 for free, 24/7 mental health support
And for anyone, anywhere:
Mental Health at Work: Practical tools for employers and colleagues: mentalhealthatwork.org.uk
Heads Up: Especially helpful for men who find it hard to reach out: headsup.org.au
Please share this list with someone if you think they might need it. You never know the impact a small gesture can make.
I love the honesty and simplicity of this. Thank you