Let’s Prioritise Our Mental Health
As you may or may not be aware, October 10th is World Mental Health Day. Mental health matters every day of the year, but using this day can help to spread more awareness, educate people and take away the stigma.
We all have mental health. If we are experiencing good mental health, we may feel a sense of purpose and direction, the energy to do the things we want to do and enjoy doing and the ability to better deal with the challenges which may occur during our lives.
Looking after our mental health is just as important as looking after our physical health - they should be treated with the same care and attention.
We have gathered some important top tips for looking after your well-being.
Top tips for looking after your mental health
Talk about your feelings
Please don’t bottle things up! If you are dealing with some difficult feelings and emotions, you may feel a huge sense of relief and like a weight has been lifted if you talk to someone you trust. The person you speak to may be able to reassure you and help you take the next steps in looking after yourself. A problem shared is a problem halved!
Ask for help
Please don’t be afraid to ask for help! There is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of if you are struggling with your mental health. We may all need support on our mental health journey at some stage in our lives, by telling someone you are struggling you’re on the right path to getting the right support you need to start feeling better.
Keep active
Keeping active is a great way to protect your mental health, examples include: enjoying a nice walk, going for a run or heading to the gym, as well as enjoying a healthy, balanced diet. Get those endorphins flowing!
Do something you enjoy
The simplest way to calm your mind is to calm your body. Taking time out just for you, whether that be reading a good book, going for a walk, watching your favourite movie or practising mindfulness and breathing exercises is extremely important. By regularly relaxing and taking time out, we can help to improve sleep, decrease stress and anxiety, strengthen immunity and increase happiness, optimism and well-being long-term.
Connect with others
Keep in touch with your family and friends and spend quality time with them. Talking to someone about how we are feeling or finding ways to help other people can help stop you from feeling lonely and improve your mental health and well-being.
Self-acceptance
There’s no one else like you on this planet - literally no one! You are unique and special and you should embrace that as much as you can.
“We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.” – Dalai Lama XIV
Care for others
Research shows that acts of kindness and caring for others can improve our mental well-being as they can help give us a sense of reward, purpose and self-worth as well as helping us to connect with other people. Moreover, you may improve the other person’s mental health too!
Try and get a good night’s sleep
Good-quality sleep makes a huge difference to how we feel mentally and physically, so it’s really important to get enough. This may be easier said than done for some people! We recommend turning off electronic devices as early as possible and practising mindfulness or breathing exercises if you are struggling to sleep.
