How to take stock and check in at the half-year point

Opinion
It’s been a challenging year so far and it will have undoubtedly affected our mental wellness. Ask yourself and your team these four important questions.
How are we halfway through June already?
I don’t know about you, but I feel that this year is going by faster than ever. Before we know it, we’ll be finishing up Q4 and collapsing into our mince pies.
And what an unpredictable, wild and weird year it’s been for adland so far.
Our brilliant industry has always been somewhat of a rollercoaster. Reflecting back on the great times and tougher times we’ve lived through already in 2025, that rollercoaster seems to have been speedier and more full of twists and turns than ever.
With so much change in our industry, set against a backdrop of turmoil in the wider world, it’s been challenging in many ways.
And that level of challenge will, understandably, affect our mental wellness.
So how are you doing?
No, really. How are you doing?
Take a few rare moments to embrace still and quiet, and focus on that question.
When was the last time you stopped to ask yourself how you are doing? Or answered someone else’s question of “how are you?” with anything other than a quick “fine” or “so busy!”?
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4 questions you need to ask
Consider this your invitation to change that right now. Let’s take a few minutes to consider that question truthfully and authentically.
In fact, as we approach the halfway point of the year, it’s the perfect time to check in with yourself. It’s a prescient time to contemplate what’s gone well and where you might have needed some more support, so that you can put in place what you need to rise above the choppy waters for the next half of the year.
You can keep pushing on unchecked until December, issuing a hurried “I’m fine” to yourself and anybody else. But is that going to support your mental wellness?
Here’s a simple exercise that you can conduct over the next few weeks to get to the truth of how you’re doing and how the past six months have treated you.
Ask yourself the following questions in a way that feels most comfortable to you. You might like to journal; or speak them out loud into your phone while you’re having a walk; or even tackle them with a coach.
• How am I really? What is the honest answer to that question?
• What have I achieved in the last six months? This is a great opportunity to make a list of your achievements and celebrate them.
• What support could I benefit from? Who or what could help you?
• What do I need for the next six months? What are your goals? How will you get there?
These questions will most likely bring up a range of responses and emotions.
You might be excited for the next six months to come or feeling worried, anxious or overwhelmed after a challenging start to the year. Perhaps it’s a mix of all of these emotions.
However you feel, don’t try to tackle the rest of the year alone. Talk to a mentor, trusted colleague or the supportive Nabs Advice Line, which can help you gather your thoughts and consider how you might move forward.
Supporting your team
As a leader, it’s also important that you encourage your teams to reflect on how they feel at the year’s halfway point.
The questions above can be put to positive use to structure your conversations. Try using them regularly in your one-to-one meetings and they can provide an insightful barometer of someone’s mental wellness levels.
In each conversation, focus on meaningful feedback and your team members’ personal development. Revisit goals and re-evaluate their purpose and impact.
Using coaching skills such as active listening, as well as being open to receiving feedback yourself, can help to enrich the conversation as well as helping with development.
Looking forward to the rest of the year, it’s all about taking action once you’ve identified what’s working and what needs a boost. Build training into the plan, focusing on sessions that build confidence as well as skills.
For team leaders, Nabs’ Managers’ Mindsets programme offers a range of workshops that focus on how to lead with insight and empathy, including Leading Through Change and Managing Team Pressure. Find out more and book on via the Managers’ Mindsets page.
For more support and guidance visit nabs.org.uk.
Katrina Urban is head of learning and development at Nabs