Featured Article
Mental Health Awareness Week
Written by Leigh Spencer, Improving Lives Volunteer and Mental Health Advocate
Mental health is an important element in our overall health, but unlike having a cold, a migraine or a physical injury, it is something we don’t always pay as much attention to as we should. When we do, we don’t always treat it as seriously as we ought to. There are times when we realise that we are struggling mentally so we take a break and go for a walk, however rather than focus on what is around us, we focus on our struggles, we ignore our surroundings, our mind is full of problems, negative emotions and events both past and in the future. It is like a mental form of doomscrolling but in your head rather than on your phone or computer. When you return you don’t feel at all rejuvenated, all you have been doing is worrying in a different location.
Each year there is a mental health awareness week to highlight the importance of mental health. It was started in 2001 by the charity Mental Health Foundation and there is a theme. Past themes have included Community and Mental Health, Nature and Mental Health, and Loneliness and Mental Health. This year’s theme is Action. While raising awareness is important it is also beneficial to us personally and those around us to take action to improve our mental health and in the community. Some actions can be in the short-term others can be in the long.
The Mental Health Foundation website suggests the following:
For yourself
This Mental Health Awareness Week, find your one thing to boost your mental health. Choose one positive action that works for you.
For someone else
The environment we live in impacts our mental health. What can you do to help build mentally healthy communities, workplaces and schools?
For all of us
Individual actions matter, but they're only part of the story. We need those in power to take action to ensure good mental health for everyone in the UK.
Here are some suggestions of actions to take:
In the Short-term
Mindfulness
When feeling anxious and or stressed it is helpful to take a moment or two to practice mindfulness. It will help you break the cycle and bring you back to the moment. Mindful breathing can also help with moments like these.
Have a drink of water
Keeping hydrated is important for your health as it can help your short-term memory and help your overall mood. Just the simple action of stopping and having a drink of water can allow you to take a break and collect your thoughts.
Become closer to nature
This works for both short-term and long-term actions. Whether you plan into your day bite size moments when you can get outside and spend a few moments in nature, or you plan to take a longer time and go for a walk, it will help you boost your mood, lessen your stress and help your concentration. Even opening the window and listening to the birds is also a simple activity to connect with nature.
Practice breathing exercises
When stressed and or anxious, a simple way to help overcome it is to do a deep breathing exercise. You start focusing on your breathing and slowly you start to feel more relaxed. They can be done at any time and are particularly helpful if you are struggling to get to sleep and have the events of the day running through your mind.
Take a moment to practice gratitude
Pause and remind yourself what you are grateful for. You may even want to write them down to look back at when you want to be uplifted.
Develop a good bedtime routine
Having a good bedtime routine is important for your mental health. Simple habits like not having your mobile phone in your bedroom or your computer will help you relax as you won’t be tempted to check either. It is also an idea to stop looking at screens an hour before bedtime. Avoiding caffeinated drinks is also beneficial. Instead take a warm bath or shower, do some gentle stretches, read a book, listen to some soothing music, or meditate. It is also a good idea to have a cool, dark and quiet bedroom. Experiment and find the combination that works for you.
In the Long-term
Look after your health
Make a conscious effort to have a healthy and balanced diet, have enough sleep, and be physically active. These actions benefit both your mental and physical health in both the long-term and the short-term.
Set boundaries
The benefit of setting boundaries is that they can improve your emotional, mental and physical well-being. It could be as simple as saying you won’t look at social media after 8pm. Setting boundaries can help develop healthier relationships, increase your confidence and boost your energy. They can also help you develop a better work-life balance.
Keep in contact with others
Spending time with family and friends can help in preventing mental health problems and may lower the risk of serious health issues that may arise in the future. It does this by helping you share positive experiences and helping you feel less lonely.
Learn a new skill or improve a current skill
One way of boosting your self-esteem, injecting some fun into your life and making new connections is to learn a new skill or improve a current skill. You may like photography using the camera on your phone or a separate camera, and you find a group online or in person that you share your pictures with and you’ll receive feedback and this turn helps you improve. Other skills could be learning about different computer programs, or baking or DIY.
Understand your emotions and how best to manage them
Take time to look at your emotions, how do you react when you are emotional? When you are upset it is hard to make good decisions and you can have difficulty relating to those around you. If you take some time to pay attention to your emotions without being judgemental, it can help you understand them which in turn will make them easier to deal with. One way to do this is to write them down.
Seek professional help
While you feel you want to deal with all your emotions by yourself, there may come a time when seeking professional support can be helpful. Talking therapies are one such form of support that can treat mental health issues and help strengthen your emotional resilience during difficult times.
For others
One of the hardest things for a person who is struggling is to ask for help so a simple action you can do is to let them know you’ll be there for them no matter what. Whether they need someone to talk to or they need some help.
You can call them, or email them or even message them depending upon their preferred method of contact. Let them know you are there for them whether they need to talk or need some help. If you are close then visit or pick up a prescription or take them to an appointment, help them get out of the house to go for a walk or even help them with household tasks around their home. Even if you don’t live close by you can still keep in contact. The simple act of letting them know you are there for them will mean a lot. This can be used with family, friends, in the workplace or in a school environment.
For the community
There are various things you can do to take actions to support mental health in the community depending upon your comfort level. Here are some examples:
Volunteering with an organisation that supports mental health
Take part in fundraising for a mental health charity
Sign a petition that is associated with mental health
Contact your local MP or councillor to talk to them about raising awareness about mental health
In conclusion, taking small actions can be beneficial not only to your own mental wellbeing but that of the wider community. For your own wellbeing small actions can be as simple as having a drink of water, taking a break and looking out of the window, or taking a moment to practice mindful breathing. In the longer term actions that can be taken to improve your mental health can include developing a good bedtime routine, setting boundaries and learning a new skill for example. Everyone is different and it may take a little while to find what works.
Reaching out to others can be beneficial to you both as you can share positive experiences and you help each other through tough times. This may also lower the risk of future mental health problems. For those who feel able to take actions to improve mental health in the community whether it is signing a petition or volunteering for a mental health organisation are also things that can be done to promote good mental health in the community.
As can be seen there are many actions that can be taken to improve mental health and they needn’t be complicated. Whatever action you choose to take will benefit everyone including yourself.