Today – 10th October 2022 – is World Mental Health Day, and I wanted to share something to raise awareness. Taking care of mental health is something we can all take the time to do, regardless of how we are feeling.
I have struggled with anxiety and depression for a long time, and my mental health is something I work at every day, to keep myself feeling as good as possible.
Over the decades, I have built up a toolkit of ways to keep depression and anxiety at bay, and these are some of the ways I do it:
Talk To Someone You Trust
This is the most important point. And if you really feel like you can’t do anything else, talk to someone today. You will be surprised how many people will be willing to listen, and sometimes that is all that is needed. A problem shared really can be a problem halved and there are so many people who can help.
Get Active
If at all possible, get up and move your body. If you can, get outside and get some fresh air. Go for a walk in the woods or a local park. Walk along the beach and breathe in the salt air. Run if you can or do an aerobics class. If you can’t get outside, at least open a window.
Regular exercise will help you think more clearly, reduce stress and improve your sleep.
These will all have a significant effect on your mood.
Sleep, Sleep, Sleep
The importance of sleep for your mental health cannot be overemphasised. It needs to be good quality and sufficient quantity. Unfortunately, sleep is very often disturbed by poor mental health. There are steps you can take to improve your sleep, and you will quickly notice a shift in your mood when sleep improves.
Don’t stress about numbers or think you absolutely must get eight hours. That is likely to keep you awake. Instead, work at trying to get just a few minutes more sleep each night, until seven or eight hours becomes the norm.
Check out this blog post if you would like to know how mindfulness can help with sleep:
gillwashington.co.uk/can-mindfulness-help-with-sleep/
Focus On Your Breath
This is my go-to whenever things get stressful, or if I find myself ruminating on problems. Rather than let the ruminations cause a deflated mood, I do some breathwork.
Three deep breaths is always a good place to start, as is just focusing on your breath. Follow the inhale and exhale and keep all your attention on that. It’s that simple, just remember to keep doing it. There are many ways to work with your breath, and I will do a full blog post about it shortly.
Learn Something New
Learning something new, or restarting something you used to love, can help to focus your mind on the task at hand. Like focusing on the breath, this can prevent rumination. It can also boost your serotonin levels because of the feel good factor when you accomplish something.
You could try learning a craft, a language, learn how to play a musical instrument or how to create graphics for social media.
Something I love to do is jigsaw puzzles. I get so absorbed that all I am thinking about is finding the next piece.
Listen To Others
These are just some of things you can do to look after your mental health. And remember to look out for your loved ones. Just as it’s important for you to talk, be a listening ear for others when they need it too.
Helpful Resources
Some helpful sites if you are struggling:
Gill Washington does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See additional information
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