Nick Clegg is not lonely

Following the advice of my digital non-mentor to brand Surviving Work as the Sex and the City for mental health last week I dipped my toe into getting-myself-out-there. As a life-long member of team neurotic I was somewhat aware that I neither have the looks nor the prowess of Carrie, so I went straight to live radio. What follows is a transcript of my attempt to be lite on LBC 93.7 by asking Nick Clegg what’s his top tip for surviving work. Nick Clegg just said my nameSurviving Work: Good morning, I work in health and I’m setting up a free online library on how to survive work. So you’ve got a tough job and I was wondering, what’s your top tip for surviving work?Niiiiiice, I sound pretty normal. This is EASY.Nick: Surviving work? Top tip for surviving work generally?!! Ahh well I think probably the most important..look everyone will have their own top…my, my…I think…Iiiii think what’s very important is…you know..there are so many answers jobs these days that pull people in different directions and I think the key thing is to try to not bring your work too much to home.  When you close your when you close your front door behind you and don’t carry your work inside with you particularly if you’ve got kids I mean I don’t know do you have a family Elizabeth? Or?Throw it back Nick, fast as you can, that’s an EMOTIONAL questionSurviving work: Yes I do.Boy oh boy he can’t possibly have missed the training day on appropriate questions…….Nick: You’ve got small children?Oh bugger, he missed the training day. Someone stop the man digging that hole.Surviving Work: No I don’tFour years as a therapist in the NHS and baby I can sit with this awkward silence on public radio for AGES.Nick: Right, well I just think I just think families I think generally is always a powerful antidote for….LBC: Elizabeth, what do you think is the most difficult part of being a senior politician or indeed a deputy prime minister, what do you think the most difficult bit would be?This might hurt a little.Surviving Work: Um, do you know, I think it’s probably very lonely. Because I should think its very difficult to find people that you can talk to honestly about what you’re dealing with.NLP your way out of that oneNick: I don’t actually feel that at all.BetchadontSurviving Work: I’m not saying you are lonely Nick.Well, OK I am reallyNick Clegg: We’re going to start having a very mournful conversation on public radio.Hope so.LBC: You’re not hitting on the deputy prime minister are you Elizabeth?If I say the thought had not crossed even my unconscious mind does that give you a clue?Nick: We’ll start weeping for the trees Elizabeth”I guess you don’t do feelings then.Nick: I actually don’t feel like that at all. I feel immensely privileged to be doing what I’m what I’m doing. It’s a huge honour you know to serve my party to serve my country but of course look its not just politics, there are lots of jobs these days. In health service, in teaching in dare I say it presenting a radio show Nick Ferrari where you have stresses and strains the worry is …I think everybody copes in different ways but my look you asked me for my own view my own view is try and keep keep home and work fairly separate.Voila, Nick Clegg: poster boy for work life balance.Ordinarily in the face of a neuro-linguistically programmed high achiever I feel as mad as a box of frogs but at 9.28 last Wednesday morning on public radio I felt human in the city.