Mental Health Matters
My October blog lines up nicely with National Mental Health Month, the timing is perfect. There is no better time than NOW to focus on your mental health. I like to think of it as training, like what you do for physical fitness, our mental fitness is just as important.
Think about the changes you have been through over the past 3-6 months. Are there any significant changes that you have navigated? I know locally here in Melbourne we have had to juggle home learning, working from home, keeping abreast of changing restrictions, feelings of restriction and being stuck, constantly changing plans, events being cancelled and pushed out, and then of course some freedom and setting new boundaries. It takes its toll.
The term Mental Health gets thrown around a lot these days, there appears to be a much brighter spotlight on it, which is great! There are so many different resources and services available, I will list a few below that you may find helpful. I also want to share with you what I do for my mental health to improve, support, and keep it in check! Now in a perfect world I nail these things daily/weekly. As you know, sometimes it’s hard to juggle everything, but I always have them to go to when I need them.
Get active - during the last lockdown I re-joined a fitness challenge to get my mojo back on track. I always seem to find myself getting too busy with work then suddenly, my fitness slips down the priority list. This last 8-week challenge has pushed me physically and mentally. I have enjoyed the accountability side of things and love the feeling of easier workouts as I get fitter and stronger.
Connection – weekly walks with my sister. Luckily, we only live a few kms away for each other, it started off meeting at the local bakery to support their business and grab a takeaway coffee, catch up and chat about our week while we walk around the block. Now we grab our coffee, walk 12kms, and solve the problems of the world!
Daily gratitude – dinner time tradition in our house is to share a highlight of the day and what you are grateful for. No matter how difficult our day may have been, there is always something to be grateful for. I love that quite often it is one of the kids that start it off and ask the question.
Friends – I love my friends and miss them dearly. Virtual isn’t the same, but something that lights up my day is receiving a call or text from one of my friends. At times we will tag each other in a funny social media post or send a funny gif/meme each other’s way. This human connection and bond is important and makes me feel warm inside. Nurture your friendships and you will feel amazing in return.
Journaling – one way I use journaling to keep my mental health in check is to write freely. Letting go of grammar, spelling, comprehension and simply writing. Getting what’s in my head down on paper. The other way is celebrating the weeks success, each Friday I reflect on my week – highlighting my achievements. Then I think about the week ahead, what I want to focus on and what will bring me closer to my goals.
Coaching – this coach has a coach too. I really enjoy my formal monthly/bi-monthly sessions and I also have the benefit of having a few friends that are amazing coaches so there are always little opportunities for coaching conversations throughout my week. This helps my mental health by having space. Space to think, talk and have insights. Coaching is such a powerful way to explore ones thinking. The right coach will ask a powerful question then listen to what you are saying, hear it and probe to find more gold. I gain clarity and walk away with how I need to do something, it might identify something different that I need to put focus on, or strengthen what I am doing now, giving me confidence that I am on the right track!
Mindfulness – some days it will be a quick brain break between coaching clients or training delivery; I practice a grounding exercise of tapping into my senses as I walk in the backyard. Other days it will be using a guided meditation app such as insight timer, I like using sleep meditations to help quiet my brain before a good night’s rest.
Sometimes we only need a little shift to help our mental health. How do you support your mental health?
Remember that working on your mental health is just as important as your physical health, it is all connected. We all need support sometimes. Check out the free resources below, use my list above to think about what you can incorporate into your daily/weekly routine or speak to your Doctor for more personalised options.
Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636 - www.beyondblue.org.au
Lifeline 13 11 14 - www.lifeline.org.au
Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 – https://kidshelpline.com.au
Insight Timer, for guided meditations – https://insighttimer.com