Mental Health Awareness Week 2021
Mental Health Awareness Week.
What does “Mental Health” mean to you? For some it will be overcoming huge challenges but for many it is simply being mindful and present in the little moments each day.
No doubt you will see plenty of useful hints and tips about how to strengthen your mental health and sometimes it can become a bit over whelming. Indeed there are countless ways you could change the way you do and see things that would help. We are lucky to live in a time where so much information is available at our finger tips. The key is to not let these things just lengthen your “To Do List” and become ammo for guilt if you don’t manage to achieve them.
Little and Often
Little and often is key. If you want to get good at anything you won’t achieve it by cramming 18 hours of it into one day and expecting mastery. Take fitness for example. 6 hours of working out in one day once a week will not have the same impact as 1 hour 6 times a week.
Forming Habits
Forming habits is the most sustainable way to make a change to your daily routine. Choose one simple thing you would like to see as an everyday habit and make a conscious effort to get that one thing done. Just that one thing. Something as simple as getting up 5 minutes earlier to just sit with yourself to meditate, plan the day, read, have a brew outside, listen to the birds or whatever you feel you want to do just for you. You’ll be surprised how fast this becomes second nature. Congratulations! This habit is now part of your every day routine and you have levelled up! Time to pick something else to add to your arson of self-development.
Mindfulness
Life is about finding yourself. Working out what truly makes you happy and doing more of those things! Being mindful each day will help you work this out. Check in with yourself even while you do the most mundane tasks like tying your shoe lace, cleaning your teeth, pouring a glass of water. How do you feel at this moment? What can you hear? What can you see and smell? How does your breath feel?
Rest your mind
It is so easy nowadays to drown ourselves in “things to do”, checking emails, social media accounts, msging family and friends, housework, career progression, budgets, politics to mention a few. If there was 48 hours in a day we would still be complaining there is not enough time! Having time away from thinking about all these things can be more productive than ploughing through these jobs faster and faster each day. Your mind needs a rest in order to recover and be more efficient. Turning your phone off an hour before you go to bed can help your mind turn off for the night. Maybe keep a notepad by your bed so you can leave your thoughts on paper and give your mind space.
Inner dialogue
You may not be in control of the situation you are in at this moment but you are in control of how you view it. It takes practice to engineer your inner dialogue to react in a positive way. Many of us automatically jump to the negative and do ourselves disservice by putting ourselves down. Being mindful throughout the day will make you aware of how you speak to yourself. Then you can slowly make the little steps to start loving yourself and talking to yourself like you would anyone you love.
The key to it all
We could recommend countless books, podcasts, Websites, Social media pages, studies and speakers to help improve your mental health, but we believe it starts with one simple thing. Be present and mindful. Failing that, Baz Luhrmann’s song “Sunscreen” is packed with great advice!
Reach out
If you need someone to talk through your thoughts then here are some helpful points of contacts:
The Samaritans offer emotional support 24 hours a day - complete confidence.
Call 116 123 it’s FREE
Call Rethink Monday to Friday, 10am-2pm
0300 5000 927 (calls are charged at your local rate).
Call the Mind on 0300 123 3393 (UK landline calls are charged at local rates, and charges from mobile phones will vary considerably). Or email info@mind.org.uk.
Fuel for the mind
Check out @Beyondsix_ on instagram. A community organization raising awareness of mental health through the use of the great outdoors.
The best views come after the hardest climb.
The best views come after the hardest climb.
Check out @evolve_pod available on Spotify, itunes, Google play and Soundcloud. Real people, real life, real inspiration. Listen Learn and Grow