Why running Cause Comms could extend my life
Sam on an anti-racism march in London. Pic: Misan Harriman
Do you know the answer to a long life? Eating a Mediterranean diet? Taking up weights? A happy relationship? Saying “no, ta” to Pinot Noir?
All of those probably help. But one of the biggest indicators of longevity might surprise you.
Researchers at the University of Michigan found that a stronger purpose in life decreased mortality. Data from 7,000 over 50s revealed a sense of purpose had more impact on adding candles to your birthday cakes than gender, race, or education levels.
Of course “sense of purpose” is a woolly phrase that could mean anything from home-brewing the perfect pint to stopping a fracking site being built.
To me it means aligning your work with your values and it’s exactly what I did in setting up Cause Communications, a PR company for charities, in my 40s.
Having spent a tough, wonderful quarter of a century in tabloid journalism, I’d reached what I thought was the height of my ambition. If you’re joint number three on the biggest-selling national daily paper with no plans to become editor then it’s probably time to pack up your cuttings file and move on.
This realisation coincided with the fight for support for my disabled daughter taking up more and more time, my son about to become a teenager and a nagging feeling I had more to achieve elsewhere.
Sam visiting 10 Downing St with Billy who has a rare genetic disorder, for Jeans For Genes Day Pic: Louis Wood
The aspect of journalism that I found most satisfying was running campaigns with charities. We’d turned the red-top paper blue for Jeans For Genes Day. I commissioned an article from then Prime Minister David Cameron and auctioning Harry Styles’ jeans for the cause. I’d also run the Give Me Shelter campaign, demanding more government funding for women’s refuges and a prioritisation of domestic abuse survivors in Government policy. That campaign contributed to the Domestic Abuse Act and won accolades from the unlikely pairing of PM Theresa May (Conservative) and Jess Phillips MP (Labour).
As with so many who reach the dizzy heights of middle management, being promoted meant I had less opportunity to do the bit of the job I loved, interviewing real people and going out and sourcing stories.
So I stepped away from a profession I adored. As hard as that was, with the support and encouragement of my other half and two terrific business partners, I have never regretted making the leap.
Running a business is tough and might counteract the wellbeing I get from working on issues I feel strongly about. But I’ve learned loads, I’m my own boss, I adore our clients and I get that same rush from landing stories for charities as I did getting the byline on a front page story. We choose clients whose values align with ours.
In our socio-economic system we’re all working well past retirement age. Increasingly forty and fifty-somethings are turning to a “purposeful” role for their “second act” in life, using hard-earned skills and some level of accrued financial security to make the move.
And if it means getting more birthday cakes over the years, what’s not to love?
Sam and Jenna at the BBC Radio Theatre for a Woman’s Hour SEND Special on which they collaborated
Ways to find a sense of purpose:
Volunteer. Our client OnSide runs state of the art youth centres called “Youth Zones” in disadvantaged areas. They are run by highly-trained youth workers but also have an army of volunteers. Find out more: /https://www.onsideyouthzones.org/supportus/youth-zone-volunteering/
When actor Richard E Grant’s wife Joan was in final months with terminal cancer she told him to find a moment of happiness in each day. That might be finding a decent book in your local library, complementing someone else on their outfit, or thrashing around in a mosh pit at a metal gig. You don’t need to have an existential crisis to find purpose, Find moments that make you happy.
Think about the injustices that bother you. Whether it’s the situation in Ukraine or climate change, find out what you can do to contribute to the solution. When big global shifts happen it helps to feel you are doing something to mitigate their impact. Check out our client One Home’s website to see what you could do for the environment: OneHome.org
Introduce purpose into your day job by suggesting a charity for your company to support and make that support meaningful by organising volunteer days where you use your skills to help. Are you a graphic designer? Draw up some eye-catching flyers. Accountant? Think how they could get better deals on outgoings.
Get outside into nature. Our lovely clients Jamie’s Farm take young people at risk of exclusion from schools for life-changing residential stays at one of their working farms, They have lots of paid or volunteer roles in therapy, education, cooking, farming, gardening and even bee-keeping: https://jamiesfarm.wpengine.com/jobs/
Keep meeting people. A sense of purpose will combat loneliness. It takes your hand and walks you into the world and introduces you to like-minded people.