Mike Lawrence Wellbeing & Workplace Management Consultant

08/12/2025

🎄 I’ll Be Honest… This Isn’t the Post I Planned to Write Today. But You Might Need It.

Every year, December turns into a performance — smiles, schedules, deadlines, parties.
But behind the scenes?
Most people are running on fumes.

And that’s why I’m sharing something different — not noise, not “festive tips,” but a moment of truth before the year ends.

Maya Angelou once said,
“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”

This year tested that for all of us.
Me included.

So instead of a typical newsletter, I’ve created a space for reflection, honesty and a reset — because as T. Harv Eker reminds us:
“How you finish anything is how you start everything.”

Inside this Christmas edition, you’ll find:
✨ A thank-you message shaped by real highs & heartbreaks
🏆 The award moment that genuinely floored me
🧠 A science-backed way to switch off when your mind refuses
💔 The 3 stories that shook leaders, clients & colleagues this year
🎄 What I’m reading, watching & listening to as the dust settles
🔥 And a raw reflection on grief, resilience & quiet growth

If you’re ending 2025 with joy, relief, uncertainty, pride or exhaustion — there’s something here that will meet you where you are.

👇 Tap to read the full Christmas Newsletter.
Five minutes that might shift how you finish this year — and how you begin the next.

PS: If it hits home, don’t keep it.
Share it.
Someone you care about may need this more than you know.

Final 2025 reflections from Mike Lawrence: burnout, resilience, awards, recovery, and the moments that mattered most. One to bookmark and share.

28/11/2025

27/11/2025

🧠 Study of 98,299 people confirms it — short-form scrolling is costing us focus, sleep, and mental clarity

This isn’t theory or fear-mongering.
I
t’s evidence — based on almost 100,000 participants.

Short-form video (TikTok, Reels, Shorts) has become the modern comfort blanket.

We jump on for a laugh… a distraction… a quick moment of relief.

And I understand why — sometimes it does soothe the day.

But here’s the reality the research couldn’t ignore:

⚠️ More SFV use = weaker attention across all ages
⚠️ Higher anxiety, irritability, low mood + emotional overload
⚠️ Dopamine hits make it harder to stop, even when tired
⚠️ Sleep takes the biggest hit — especially scrolling in bed
⚠️ The brain doesn’t switch off, it ramps up

The study highlights:
“Night-time SFV consumption suppresses melatonin + serotonin, disrupting circadian rhythm and deep sleep.”

So while we believe we’re relaxing…

We may actually be overstimulating the brain, delaying rest, and waking up more exhausted than the night before.

Not because we’re weak — but because these tools are designed to keep us there.

And this line from the conclusion couldn’t have been clearer:
The heavier the scroll, the worse your cognition and mental wellbeing.

Full article via UNILAD 👇
https://www.unilad.com/technology/news/study-impact-short-form-content-has-on-brain-867252-20251121

PS: If you’ve ever climbed into bed for “five minutes of scrolling” and looked up 40 minutes later — you’re not alone. Awareness is the power.
Awareness is the pivot point. Please share this if it might help someone reclaim their evenings, their sleep, and their clarity.

A new study had analyzed the impact watching content on platforms like YouTube Shorts, TikTok, Instagram has on a person's brain

18/11/2025

“How Much Longer Do You Want Stress Running Your Life?”
Join the 60-Minute Reset That’s Helping People Finally Breathe Again — Free Live Interactive Webinar Tomorrow at 2PM GMT ✨

If the last few weeks have felt relentless — busy mind, tense body, poor sleep, holding everything together for everyone else — tomorrow is your moment to pause and take one hour back for yourself.

Most people wait until they hit a wall.
They hope things will “calm down soon.”
But stress doesn’t ease off on its own — it compounds.
You don’t have to let that happen.

Tomorrow’s session is a live, engaging, cameras-on experience designed to help you feel lighter, clearer, and genuinely more in control by the end of the hour.

You’ll learn how to calm your mind in under two minutes, interrupt stress before it spirals, spot burnout early, protect your energy when life feels uncertain, and use a simple grounding routine that sets your entire day up to win.

These are the same tools I use with executives, NHS teams, and organisations facing real-world pressure — practical, evidence-based strategies that work in real life, not just on paper.

If you’ve been telling yourself “I’ll sort it next week,” you already know next week rarely brings the space you hoped for.
This is your chance to reset before the spiral continues.

It’s live. It’s interactive. And spaces are limited so everyone gets genuine connection — not another passive webinar. 🔗

👉 Register here (FREE):

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/U1b8uRrZSiSkeiT4jWD86g #/registration

Event details

• 📅 Wednesday 19 November
• ⏰ 2:00 PM GMT
• 💻 Zoom (cameras on)
• 💷 Free to attend

P.S. In your moment of decision, your destiny is shaped.
If you’re ready for even one hour of calm, clarity, and breathing space — join me live tomorrow.

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: How to Reduce Stress Naturally: Practical Tools to Feel Calm, Focused & In Control. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.

11/11/2025

💥 Life doesn’t give us warning signs — but it does give us choices.

In the last few weeks, I’ve stood in the High Court as an expert witness. I lost a close friend who entrusted me with his final wishes. And I’ve supported family impacted by Hurricane Melissa — a storm that shook more than just homes.

Add in rising financial uncertainty, stress creeping in, and the quiet pressure many are carrying — and it’s clear:
Resilience isn’t something you talk about. It’s something you live.

Today, on the 11th of November — a day of remembrance, pause, and reflection — I’m sharing this month’s newsletter with you.

🧠 What’s inside:
✅ Practical ways to reduce stress (plus a free masterclass on 19 Nov)
✅ Personal reflections on grief, responsibility, and emotional overwhelm
✅ The mental health effects of uncertainty as we head into the Budget
✅ And a few lighter moments — music, family, connection

📩 Take a moment to read. Then share it with someone who might need it more than you realise.

🔗 [Insert Newsletter Link]

Resilience, reflection, and real-life leadership. Mike Lawrence’s November newsletter tackles stress, loss, and how to stay grounded when life shifts.

10/11/2025

🌿 You Say You’re Fine — But Are You Really?

Be honest with yourself.

How many times have you said “I’m fine” this week — when deep down, you weren’t?

When people find out what I do — helping people manage stress and prevent burnout — I usually hear:

💬 “We need more people like you.”

💬 “I could’ve done with you when I was going through my divorce.”

💬 “You must be busy these days.”

It’s said with kindness… but often, it’s a deflection.

Because most of us already know something’s off.
The racing thoughts that won’t stop.
The exhaustion that sleep doesn’t fix.
The quiet fear that if we stop, everything might fall apart.

A few years ago, I learned that lesson the hard way.

After a pituitary apoplexy, I sat in a hospital bed and realised I’d been living on autopilot for far too long.

Stress didn’t cause it — but years of ignoring my wellbeing didn’t help.

Since then, I’ve dedicated my life to helping others find balance before their body forces them to.

So I’m inviting you to something special:

🎥 FREE Live Webinar: How to Reduce Stress — Even When Life Feels Out of Control
🗓️ Tuesday 19 November 2025
🕑 2:00 PM (GMT)

This isn’t another fluffy wellness chat.
It’s real, practical, and designed for people who are ready to stop talking about change and start living it.

Here’s what you’ll learn:
✅ How to calm your mind and body in under two minutes
✅ How to recognise and prevent burnout before it hits
✅ How to protect your energy, focus, and peace — even in chaos

You’ll leave with tools you can use immediately — and share with family, friends, or colleagues.

If you’re done saying “I’m fine” and ready to actually feel fine — join me.
👉 Click here to register for free

Because stress might be part of life…
but it doesn’t have to run your life.

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: How to Reduce Stress Naturally: Practical Tools to Feel Calm, Focused & In Control. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.

05/11/2025

⚡ Feeling the Pressure Rising? Read This…

You’re not imagining it.
More worry. More stress.

Even Rachel Reeves is hinting at tax rises in the next Budget — and people across the country are quietly thinking, “How much more can I take?”

We may not have much say in what happens in Westminster…
but we can take charge of how we respond.

A few of you may have seen me delivering a 20-minute wellbeing session at Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park recently — I touched on these exact tools, and the reaction was incredible.

Now I’m taking it deeper in a FREE live masterclass:
🎯 How to Reduce Stress — Even When Life Feels Out of Control

You’ll discover how to:
✅ Break the mental noise loop in under 3 minutes
✅ Regain calm and clarity when pressure hits
✅ Protect your energy and focus — even when everything around you feels uncertain

It’s fast-paced, practical and transformational.
No theory, no fluff — just proven tools that work.
🗓️ Not long to go — spaces are still available, but not for long.
👉 Click on the link below to claim your free spot now:

Because the truth is — the world won’t always calm down for you.
But you can learn to calm yourself in the world.
Let’s take back control — together.

Free 60-minute live masterclass with award-winning wellbeing consultant Mike Lawrence. Learn practical tools to reduce stress, prevent burnout, and restore calm — naturally.

14/10/2025

🏡💻 Work-From-Home Stress: The Silent Performance Killer

How to reclaim your focus, energy & calm — even when life feels non-stop!

❓ Ever finish the day completely drained… yet still feel guilty you haven’t done enough?

😩 Found yourself replying to emails late at night, not because you want to — but because you just can’t switch off?

🍪 Or maybe you’re thinking, “Who isn’t interested in how to reduce stress? I could be doing something better with my time… but hey — there’s tea, coffee, flapjacks & fruit waiting!”
(Are you referring to me, Mike? 😅)

Whether you thrive under pressure or feel like you’re just surviving it, stress doesn’t go away by pretending it’s not there.

For over 20 years, I’ve been helping leaders, teams, and individuals find calm and confidence under pressure — from the NHS and Zurich Insurance to The FA and local businesses right here in South Yorkshire.

When I delivered a talk on workplace stress in Frankfurt, one of the delegates — a world-renowned psychologist — said this:

💬 “I was very impressed with both Mike’s intelligence and his humanity.”
— Dr Robert Gordon, Ph.D., ABPP, Fellow of the American Psychological Association

Because when you learn to spot stress as it creeps in, you can manage it before it manages you.
That’s where the real power lies.

🗓 Join Me Live — FSB Networking @ Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park

🕙 Wednesday 22 October 2025 | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
📍 Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park

In just 20 minutes, I’ll show you how to:
✅ Spot early signs of burnout before they take hold
✅ Stay calm and focused under pressure
✅ Build simple habits that protect your wellbeing and boost your performance

🎟 Free to attend – grab your spot below ⬇️
👉 [insert FSB event link]

💬 P.S. Come for the conversation, stay for the clarity… and maybe a flapjack or two. 😉 https://events.fsb.org.uk/en/8d2bI2X7/fsb-networking-with-sheffield-olympic-legacy-park-3aJ8P2la1/overview

10/10/2025

Today is World Mental Health Day.

And I’ve been reflecting on something I witnessed last week.
A family friend was seriously ill in hospital.

32 beds. 9 staff. Every person on that ward was a potential emergency.
One man missed his meds and lashed out.
The staff stayed calm, patient, professional.

What struck me most wasn’t the chaos — it was the care.
The small moments of compassion.

A woman across the ward, caring for her husband.
Their world had changed overnight — what started as a knee op ended in an amputation.
Their daughter flew in from Australia to be by his side.

And still, they noticed our friend.
When he was in pain, they stepped in.
They gave him hope.

That’s what people are capable of — even in crisis.
Especially in crisis.

This year’s theme is:
Access to Services – Mental Health in Catastrophes and Emergencies.

But not all catastrophes make headlines.
Some happen quietly, every day, in places we don’t see.

Thanks for reading.
If anything I’ve shared resonates, feel free to share it forward or drop me a message.

05/10/2025

🌍 October Reflections: From Berlin to Breakthroughs

This month’s been one for the books.

✈️ I missed my flight to Berlin (set my alarm for 3pm instead of 3am… we’ve all been there 😅).
🧠 I’ve been exploring how AI is changing mental health — and not always for the better.
💊 And I’ve shared my journey living with a pituitary condition, two years on.

But through it all, one thing keeps coming up — resilience.
Not the “bounce back” kind.
The keep showing up kind.

Because whether you’re leading a team, caring for others, or just trying to hold it together — it’s energy, not time, that makes the difference.

So this month’s newsletter dives deep into:

💡 Real stories that make you think
🎧 Tools to help you focus and recharge
💬 Honest conversations about wellbeing and leadership

If life’s been testing your patience, focus, or energy — this one’s for you.

And if you relate — drop a ❤️ or share your own story below.

We rise stronger when we talk honestly.


👉 Read it here:

From Berlin to AI, hormones and missed flights — lessons in leadership, mindset, and staying resilient under pressure

03/10/2025

Why Most Wellbeing Fixes Fail in South Yorkshire — And What to Do Instead

Burnout.

It’s the word I keep hearing everywhere in Sheffield and South Yorkshire.

And it’s not just personal — it’s economic.

📉 South Yorkshire’s GDP per head is among the lowest of all combined authorities in England.

When businesses burn out, our whole region feels it: fewer jobs, slower growth, lower innovation.

Here’s the truth 👇

Most “wellbeing solutions” were built for a different world.

They don’t work for hybrid teams, remote pressure, and today’s business realities.

That’s why, on Tuesday 22 October (10:00–12:00), I’ll be at Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park with FSB delivering an interactive, 20-minute talk that will:

✅ Expose why the common fixes don’t work anymore

✅ Share not-so-common strategies you can use the same day

✅ Show leaders how to protect energy, sharpen boundaries, and build real resilience

👉 Book your place below: Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) with Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park

P.S. There’ll be an opportunity to continue the conversation beyond the room. For those who want to delve deeper, I invite you personally to continue the dialogue.

Discover events from The Federation of Small Businesses

28/09/2025

⚠️ A Stark Warning: Are we outsourcing our darkest thoughts to AI?

AI is no longer just about essays, coding, or quick answers.
More and more people are turning to ChatGPT and other AI tools for comfort, advice, even therapy.

Why? Because it’s accessible, low cost — and in many cases, free.

But here’s the heartbreaking truth.
A 16-year-old boy in the US confided in ChatGPT about his darkest thoughts. Days later, he tragically took his own life. His family are now suing OpenAI.
👉 Read the story here: Sky News link

This is a wake-up call. AI is a tool. But it is not a therapist. It is not a GP. And it is not a substitute for human connection.

When I created my own wellbeing GPT, I built in non-negotiable safeguards:
➡️ The moment someone mentions suicidal thoughts, it instantly signposts to emergency support:
📞 111 option 2 (urgent mental health support in England)
📞 Samaritans 116 123
💬 Text SHOUT to 85258
(And if in immediate danger, call 999.)

If I can do this, why can’t the biggest players?

Because let’s be clear: people are vulnerable. They are reaching out. And in that moment, a single missing line could tip the balance.

👉 We don’t just need smarter AI.
We need safer AI.

The case against OpenAI is thought to be the first legal action accusing OpenAI of wrongful death and seeks unspecified financial damages.