It’s World Mental Health Day on 10th October. It is an ideal opportunity to raise awareness of mental health issues that impact one in four of us.
We all have mental health, and it’s important to recognise the value of looking after our own wellbeing. In recognition of this, we asked the We Are Wellbeing team to let us know what mental health means to them…
Any Romero-Birkbeck, Founder & Director of We Are Wellbeing:
“Mental Health is a lifelong continuum ranging from Thriving to Struggling and we can be somewhere different on the scale every day. I personally believe we all need to give ourselves a fighting chance by investing in our wellbeing. It’s about taking a holistic approach to being both well and content. My number one tip for wellbeing is to focus on what’s really important in life. You can identify this by writing a daily gratitude list.”
Christopher Hulme, Associate Wellbeing Coach:
“For me mental health is about working to achieve balance in all areas of my life. Sometimes I need to be social and engage with family and friends. Other times I need to be on my own so I can process my thoughts. Being physically active is important, but so is knowing when to rest and recuperate. Eating well and knowing I’m nutritionally on track is a great way for me to remain in control of my physical and mental wellbeing. But I’m also no stranger to a kebab and a few pints on a Friday night either. I encourage everyone to keep a focus on mental health and understand that we all have good days and bad days. Relish the good days and hold on tight through the bad days. And above all, talk. Good communication is at the root of addressing mental health imbalances. Sometimes a brew and a chat can make the world of difference.”
Sophie Joelle, Content Manager:
“People often forget that every single one of us has mental health – and we need to look after it! We prioritise our physical health by eating well, changing our sleep patterns and exercising. So why don’t we start to actively work on improving our mental health too? To me, good mental health means being able to enjoy your life. Finding the joy in little things, making new friends and being able to engage wholly in activities (whether at work or out of it). Just like physical health, though, we need to work on improving our mental health to achieve this.”
Ann-Marie, Nutritionist and Associate Wellbeing Coach:
“Mental health to me means feeling healthy: physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. It means having a balance in life and being connected to others rather than feeling isolated. To me, it also means being able to communicate openly and honestly about how I am feeling to family, friends and colleagues.”
Dale Barfoot, Web Developer:
“To me, mental health means being able to express yourself. Don’t bottle up your thoughts and emotions. Talk to someone about your issues. I found that if I was to bottle up something that has been bothering me I would dwell on it and get myself into a slump.
When I’m telling someone about my problem, it doesn’t seem as bad as I thought. I appreciate that when I explain my issues to someone they will often give me advice, help me out or I come to my own solution just by talking to someone. I will always listen to my friends when they have a problem no matter how small as I know they might have had a hard time and just by talking about it, it can help out a lot.”
What does mental health mean to you? Share your thoughts this World Mental Health Day on LinkedIn or Twitter.
