12/10/2022
Why focusing on our mental health is so important.
When it comes to self-development we often hear friends and family say things like, “I want to get fit this year,” ”I want to lose weight,” ”I’m a little run down.” It seems so much harder to say “I want to focus on my mental health,” ”I feel burnt out.”
We live in a society where we often only address our mental health when we’ve actively become unwell.
I often advise my patients to take a Personal Development approach to their mental health and wellbeing. We all understand the concept of Professional Development or CPD. Many workplaces insist that you demonstrate that you are continuing to learn and develop your skills. And this is not just about getting better at your job. Employers know that staff who are learning and growing are more likely to feel satisfied in their role, perform well and stay. Our body chemistry changes when we are learning. That sense of satisfaction you feel from mastering something new? That’s dopamine, a chemical that gives a boost of motivation and wellbeing. And one that can drop if our day-to-day routine never changes.
By scheduling wellbeing and reflection time into your calendar, you are giving your mind and body the chance to grow, learn new things and address any growing issues.
I have the privilege of working clinically across multiple settings. I’m mostly based in the NHS where I work with patients who have found depression and anxiety symptoms have started to interfere with everyday life. This means they’ve reached a point where they’ve recognised, I need help and have reached out for that support. The challenge for them is then navigating assessments and waiting lists at a point when they really are ready for that help now.
In my private practice, it’s a little different. Often clients have anticipated that they are getting into difficulty and have reached out sooner. The dynamic of private therapy means that in most cases we can start immediately. The main barrier to this of course is resources; having both the physical time and headspace and the finances to pay for a private service.
But there are wellbeing and therapy options available for free that you can access in a preventative manner, and I wanted to list some of these here.
Oxfordshire MIND – Mind runs regular courses and classes that can help you focus on building resilience, managing what life is throwing at you and just to learn a new skill. Examples are – Managing work stress, managing strong emotions, building self-esteem. There is a monthly newsletter you can sign up to that lists everything that’s coming up.
Sports groups – There are numerous sports groups around the county that have a wellbeing focus and are either fully or partly funded. An excellent local example in Banbury is the Spit and Sawdust boxing club which runs a group specifically for people who are finding life a bit of a struggle.
A google search for well-being clubs will show you the large and varied options available.
A preventative mental health approach has a variety of benefits.
• Stops todays niggles becoming tomorrow’s crisis
• Gives space for reflecting on how day to day life is impacting you
• Allows you to see areas where life can be enhanced or simplified
• Allows you to prevent recurring patterns dominating life
One of my favourite pieces of work to do with patients is the latter point. When people recognise that they have a recurring pattern in their life and take a proactive choice to tackle it. When we recognise the same situation occurring again and again in life and have the courage to recognise that we are likely helping to create those situations then there is real opportunity for change. It’s so easy to take a passive role in life and think that the world is doing something mean to us but its not until we own our own role in this that a way forward is clear. With this kind of therapy, it’s always about timing and sometimes that means “bookmarking” as something to do at time when life is calm enough to allow for it.
Whatever approach you take, ask yourself how often you put mental health time into schedule. We know we should have exercise in there for our physical health, but what’s in your diary for your mental well-being? This doesn’t need to be complex. For me it’s going for coffee once a week. Finding a quiet corner where I can watch the world go by and reflect on my week and how things are going.
The winter months are a great time to implement some of these things as our mood often slides with lower energy levels and the darker evenings. So my personal challenge to you is to add in one well-being activity a week, and read, watch or listen to one short mental health article a month and then evaluate the impact on you. You may be surprised at just how much life improves.
