“It’s PR, not the ER” – Setting the pace for Mental Health Awareness Month
Those of us working in the industry are familiar with the phrase: “It’s PR, not the ER” and it’s funny because, while PR isn’t an emergency-room-level career, the world and media shift by the minute, and staying current is everything for client success.
People, like myself, fall in love with the hustle and excitement that public relations brings. Being in the know before your peers, delivering the latest news to hit the market, and developing materials in real time to handle a crisis, it’s all an adrenaline rush. When everything feels like a mad dash to the finish line, we have to ask ourselves: “What do I do once I’m across?”
This year, for Mental Health Awareness Month, I’m running with that racing analogy to share my own journey with the “always on” mentality in public relations.
The Mental Load
It is in our nature to stay on top of demands, exceed tight deadlines, and comb through our inboxes for the next thing. There’s a heavy mental load PR professionals carry when managing multiple projects every day, context-switching between calls and verticals, much like running a triathlon. And through all of it, our goal is to appear cool, calm, and collected, never letting on that we just downed that third cup of coffee.
We’re also caught somewhere between two competing cultures: the “analog, soft & slow aesthetic” crowd and the “the grind never stops” mentality. With whispers of the four-day work week on one end and the fast-paced 9-9-6 routine on the other, where do we actually find our pace?
PR should feel thrilling. When pitches result in coverage, award wins, and product announcements land, it really does feel like a sprint to the finish line. The problem is we constantly chase that feeling without finding time to rest before the next race. You have to take care of yourself before you can do your best work for others, and there’s no room for creative ideas or strategic thinking when you’re running on empty.
Finding Your Finish Line Ritual
So that brings us back to the real question: “How do we unwind once we cross the finish line?”
Rest is not laziness, it’s refueling. For me, taking micro-breaks throughout the day helps me switch gears and come back sharper. If I’m staring at a half-done press release or my eyes have glazed over the screen, I step away and get outside for a few minutes. That small moment to disconnect is both refreshing and deserved. There’s a reason the phrase “go outside and touch grass” exists.
Setting boundaries is just as important. You can only run for so long. If I find myself compelled to check emails well after work hours and feeling like I have to respond immediately, I try turning off notifications and keeping my laptop out of the spaces where I relax. Answering that email at 9 p.m. isn’t just tiring, it also pulls us away from being present with the people around us. They deserve our attention, too.
Setting a New Pace
We’ll always come back to “It’s PR, not the ER” but as we know, sometimes handling work and client stress has a way of becoming your own. This month, I want to encourage all of us to set a new pace. I’ll be taking the time to check in with myself, figure out which areas deserve a little more care, and remind myself that I don’t have to set a new record every single day.