October 10th, 2022 is World Mental Health Day and we here at McElhinneys are huge advocates for taking care of your mental health.
Your mental health is just as important as your physical health and sometimes it can be easy to forget that.
We’ve curated a list of 5 things we think are important for taking care of your mental well-being.
1. Connect With Others
Take time out of each day to connect with people in your life such as your friends, family or colleagues.
Having good relationships with others can increase our sense of belonging and self-worth and provide emotional support.
2. Be Active
Being physically active is not only good for your physical health but it can hugely benefit your mental health as well.
You don’t have to spend hours in the gym to achieve this as research shows even just a quick 10 minute walk can improve your mood, energy levels and help to reduce stress.
3. Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness is all about bringing your awareness to the present moment, your thoughts, feelings and surroundings without judgement.
The goal of mindfulness is to live in the moment and not dwell on the past.
Observing you're how you’re feeling, what you're thinking and labelling it can avoid self-criticism and help you manage and identify difficult emotions.
4. Try Journaling
Writing down thoughts and feelings can really help you navigate through them and clear your head at the end of a long day.
Take a few moments every day to write down how you’re feeling, what you’re grateful for and what you achieved today.
This can help you to identify triggers and learn better ways to control them.
5. Prioritise Sleep
Our brains need rest to be able to work properly. Just like our phones can’t run without being charged, we can’t either.
Make yourself a sleep schedule and make sure you stick to it. If you’re having trouble sleeping, try making a nightly routine for winding down, avoid caffeine and switch off your devices.
Take care of yourself and remember, look out for others who may be struggling too.
If your symptoms are overwhelming, talk to your doctor or a health care professional. If you need to talk to someone immediately, you can freephone Samaritans on 116123 or text HELLO to 50808 to talk to someone.
Until next time,
Amy
