7 Tips to help with your Mental Health

Our minds are complex.  They are capable of greatness, such as creativity, problem-solving, and empathy.  However, they can also be a source of great difficulty, such as anxiety, depression, and addiction.

Over the past few years, thanks in part to the Covid 19 Pandemic, we’ve all become more aware of our own mental health.  Businesses have also become more open to discussing mental health in the work place, leading to an understanding that it is at least as important as our physical health.

In this blog, we’ll look at what we can do to look after our own mental health, and also what we as employers can do to help our employees.

We know our minds are not always rational.  They are influenced by our emotions, our experiences, and our environment, so we can’t always control our thoughts or our behaviour.  We all have mental health and it’s important that we are aware of how we’re feeling and do our best to look after it.

Doing these simple things can all help:-

• Getting enough sleep – helps our ability to cope with the pressures of daily life.  If you’ve got a problem or an issue you’re trying to solve, “sleeping on it”, can help you to see things from a different perspective and more clearly.
• Eat a healthy diet – a body that is properly fueled with nutritious food will have all the energy it needs to help you cope with your daily life.  Don’t forget that an odd treat can also help your mood too!
• Exercise regularly – whether that’s going to the gym, cycling or simply going for a walk around the block can all help us to unwind.  Exercise releases endorphins which help with positivity.  What about Yoga as a good way to unwind, the combination of gentle movement and breath work is something that can be relaxing.
• Spend time in nature – this is where many people spend time.  Enjoying seeing the changing seasons, hearing birdsong, and feeling the warmth of the sun on your face.  Nature is a great healer; even sitting on a bench looking at a view can help to calm a busy mind.
• Connect with loved ones – we’re social creatures and we benefit from our interactions with others.
• Practice mindfulness or meditation – taking time out allows our brains to reset.  Spending time focusing on the present without judgement can help calm our minds and enable us to make better decisions.
• See professional help if you’re struggling – this is so important and there are so many organisations / professions that are able to help.
  • Mind – provides advice, support, and resources for anyone experiencing mental health challenges.
  • Samaritans – Offers 24/7 support for anyone in distress, with a focus on suicide prevention they can be called free on 116 123.
  • Mental Health Foundation – provides information and resources on mental health issues, with a focus on prevention and early intervention
  • In addition your doctor, local mental health team, a trained therapist or councillor, or friends and family can all provide care and support.

In our lives we can experience conflict between our logical and emotional minds, which can trip us up.

For example:-

• Our logical mind can be too rigid.  When we relay too heavily on logic, we can miss out on important information that is not easily recognised.  For example, we might make a decision based on a cost-benefit analysis, but forget to consider the emotional impact of our decision.
• Our emotional mind can be too impulsive.  When we are ruled by our emotions, we can make decisions that we later regret.  For example, we might say something hurtful to a work colleague in the heat of the moment.
• Our logical and emotional minds can conflict with each other.  This can lead to inner turmoil and confusion.  For example, we might know that we should eat healthily, but we still find ourselves eating junk food.

The conflict between logical and emotional minds can lead to feeling of negativity and helplessness.  In these situations it’s important to try and look for the positives, and celebrate the small wins.

Something I encourage my clients to do regularly is sit down with their team and share and reflect on all the positives that have happened recently.  Reflecting on what’s gone well give you space to celebrate your achievements and make you realise that life’s good.

As I mentioned in my introduction mental health has become less of a “taboo” subject in the work place.  Initiatives such as the Take 10 Strategy aim to encourage use to have conversations about mental health and wellbeing in the work place.  In order to be effective it’s important that supporting mental health is embedded in the culture of your workplace and just a tick box exercise.

What support can you put in place?

• Create a supportive and inclusive workplace culture where your employees feel comfortable speaking up about their mental health, and where they’re not discriminated against, or stigmatised because of a mental health condition.
• Provide training on mental health awareness and stigma reduction.  This can help employees to better understand mental health conditions, and to challenge the stigma that can surround them.
• Encourage employees to take care of themselves.  This means promoting healthy habits such as exercise, healthy eating and getting enough sleep.
• It also means providing employees with the resources they need to manage stress, such as stress-reduction techniques and access to mental health care.

Our environment also plays a part in our mental health and wellbeing.  As employers you can help it to be positive.  Simple things such as adding plants to your office can bring huge benefits; they help increase the amount of oxygen in the air, are pleasing to look at and help bring nature into our working environment.

In conclusion, mental health is at least as important as physical health, an it should be treated as such.  By taking steps to support our mental health, we can improve our overall wellbeing and quality of life.

As a business coach I’m here to help with all aspects of running your business.  All businesses go through challenging times and I’m here to help both in the good and less good times.  Whether you need a listening ear or want to achieve a better work life balance a 121 with me is the first step.  So what are you waiting for click here to Book a Free 1 Coaching Session and lets get you on the right track.

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