Health, Wellbeing, Productivity, Drum & Bass. What to expect at Getahead Festival 2018

Were launching the worlds first 24 hour festival of the head, on June 13th 2018 in London. But what the heck happens at such a thing? Thats a good question.

Maybe you think youre getting along fine? So why bother coming along to an event for mentals? Spending your precious time at this 24 hour event when youve got deadlines to meet, Twitter to update.

There are 3 really good reasons:1. FunIts a festival! Theres a tonne of fun to be had at Getahead.

From our brand-new-never-seen-before-pre-work-sober-rave-workout-mashup hosted by Soul Sisters & Weaver Bros, to standup comedy & live music all afternoon, to the lovechild of TED talks & WWE wrestling The Tech Off, and an unbelievable roster of music across three different rooms til daybreak on the 14th, one featuring Sister Collective & Desert Island Disco in the bar!And were proud to welcome Radio 1 Xtra DJ Melody Kane with her dancefloor workout No Kane No Gain. Nicely blending fun & fitness, expect a high energy level workout to the sounds of Hip Hop, Dancehall, RnB, Garage & House mixed together live by Melody, who also gives her support and encouragement on the Mic and takes part in the session herself!

2. Health & WellbeingMental health is the hottest of hot topics today, but its intimately connected to your physical health & the way you approach your life. So weve bagged some of the best practitioners from the worlds of mental health, physical fitness & wellbeing for you.

Speakers include Simon Gunning (CEO of charity CALM) who sits on our panel about Wellbeing in the Workplace. Another panel of leading names will discuss Addiction in the Entertainment Industry, the dark side of performance.We also welcome Michael Acton Smith, CEO of meditation app Calm which was voted no1 app in the App Store by Apply last year.

Hell be giving a talk with Q&A so a great opportunity to pick the brains of one the worlds biggest experts in de-stressing your head. Mental health campaigner Jon Salmon (part of team Heads Together) will interview Jonny Benjamin (Man on the Bridge), Jake Tyler (BBC Mind Over Marathon), Darshan Sanghrajka (Being ManKind) & Sean Fletcher (TV Presenter & Young Minds Ambassador).In attendance are counsellors from help-line Music Minds Matter.

Theyll be there after work when you enjoy a G&T (or cuppa tea) with them for Drinks with Counsellors, and maybe get some life advice in a relaxed environment. And if that sounds a bit like hard work, get a free 15 minute massage or a session of transcendental meditation available all day.3.

ProductivityTheres no point working on your mental health, physical health & wellbeing if you dont learn some practical tips to get ahead while at work or in your general life. Often a change of mindset and a few new habits can be transformative. So weve organised a programme of productivity workshops & panels which will tool you up to win whatever game youre playing.

So if youre a frazzled DJ, maxed-out corporate high-flyer, ambitious-tech-entrepreneur or put-upon graphic designer we can help.Start the day with a session I am personally very excited about: Chimps at work: Startups, Careers, Burnout. From 9.

30am in the main room Dr Anna Waters a practicing psychiatrist from Chimp Management (the people behind seminal mind-management book The Chimp Paradox) will explain how your own brain can hijack you. Then four creative digital entrepreneurs including Dom from Social Chain who says the book saved his life will talk through their burnout stories. Back on stage Anna will unpick their stories with them, hosted by Sanctuss James Routledge.

Another workshop wed highly recommend is at 12.30pm with the worlds no1 entrepreneurial coaching programme, Strategic Coach. Theyll teach you tools to stay out of the gap, and keep a positive focus even when times get rough, as they inevitably do.

Flying in from Dublin especially for Getahead, is top endurance sports coach Alan Heary. He has trained top flight pro-boxers, Paralympians, and runs Irelands toughest cycling race.Other sessions include tips on nomad life & working remotely, how to survive as a tech mum, ways to become an unstoppable man (from a loud man that nearly killed himself) and more.

Check the programme. Finally we welcome Geoff McDonald who used to lead the global HR team at corporate giant Unilever and who has turned his life around after a debilitating burnout experience. Hes now a much sought-after speaker (Jenni our co-founder said that Geoff was the best speaker shes ever seen).

He inspires and provokes organisations to put purpose at the centre of everything they do. Dont miss this keynote speech at 5pm. Why are we doing this?

Everyone today seems to be too-stressed, fried, struggling to keep up. The world is amazing, abundant. But as it accelerates, we mere humans are struggling.

Perhaps slowing down is the new speeding up. At Getahead we will celebrate life, but acknowledge the pitfalls. Help you achieve your goals, get success, and win at the game youre playing with practical ideas and advice.

Plus have a laugh, a dance, a drink.We have made a 25 year commitment to run this festival, and in that time we will positively impact a billion people. We want to create the SXSW of mental health & wellbeing in London.

Will you be there as we set off on this adventure, are you with Kirby creator & co-founder of Getahead Festival.