Written by Amy Everatt, Chief Commercial Officer at Unlock Your You.
There is so much talk about mental health. It is everywhere and more so since the pandemic began. But what is it? You can’t simplify something that can be very complex and has many branches growing in every direction.
So, let’s start from the beginning.
In very basic terms, our mental health is responsible for our wellbeing, our physical health, and our emotional health. It drives our minds and our bodies and is the very essence of our beings. It’s about being aware. Aware of ourselves, the environment we live in and those around us. It is almost a skill we all should acquire and the earlier the better. It can be our most powerful tool, but it must be treated as something sacred. It can be our success, but it can also lead to our downfall. We need to treat it as our most treasured friend and not as an afterthought.
Let me explain… If we learned to tune into our own needs more often, to listen and then respond, in theory, we would be calmer, more focused and happier people. We need to learn to tailor our responses to our own needs. So, how can we achieve this? Let’s go back to basics. It is not selfish to prioritise what you need. It is a necessity. If we put effort into making sure we are ok ourselves, we would be making ourselves better friends, better parents, better people, better at our jobs and more likely to cope with life’s stresses and demands. This doesn’t have to be major changes, just subtle changes. Here are a few ideas of how you can do this:
All you need to remember is to HUG yourself to Unlock Your You.
H is for House
This is your environment, your surroundings. Make a little extra effort to keep your environment calm and peaceful. Love the environment you are in and make it your sanctuary, your place to wind down.
Three basic things to do is declutter, play your favourite music and add plants! If you can do this in just a small corner of your house or your garden, it is a major game-changer. This becomes your go-to place to relax!
U is for Understanding yourself
Make a habit of tuning in to how you feel when you wake up. Are you feeling tired? Energised? Achey? Excited? Or full of dread?
This is your first clue as to how to move forward with your day. Small adjustments and heightened awareness can change a bad day into a better day. If you are not feeling your best today, then don’t worry. We are only human, and we all feel like this more than we realise.
Listen to your needs and prioritise yourself. If you don’t feel great, take a slower day. It is never more important to slow down than when the fast pace of life is making you feel stressed and unwell. We all feel like we have no time for ourselves with everything else going on in our lives, but someone somewhere once said ‘if you do not make time for your wellness, you will be forced to make time for your illness’ and never has a truer phrase been said.
Mindfulness is key here. We all get caught up in the race that is life. Once in a while, just stop.
G is for Give
Give yourself time to become aware of what’s going on around you. Give yourself more of what you need. Give yourself a break. Take some time out.
Give yourself permission to do more of the things you love. Whether it’s reading, running, painting, catching up with friends, spending time with loved ones, hobbies, cooking or just watching a film, make time to do more of it.
If things get tough, ask for help. This is the most difficult thing for us to do. Why? Because we need things already in place to help to make us feel heard, understood and supported. More and more employers are investing in people and employees’ well-being so go to your boss and talk to your friends. These are your tribe.
By putting a few simple rituals into your daily routine and doing these few simple things to awaken your senses to your surroundings, you will soon notice that you become aware of everything else around you. Your surroundings are so important to positive mental wellbeing so remember to listen to others as well. You may see signs in others that they are not listening to their needs. Talk to them. Ask them questions and offer support. Sometimes a life can be changed by just one seemingly meaningless conversation. There are so many tips and hints on helpusgrieve.co.uk and unlockyouryou.org.uk where we can point you in the right direction from helpful hints and support to training and personal growth. Join our movement towards a healthier future for positive mental wellbeing.
Unlock Your You provide mental health support through a helpline and responses units with volunteers who are fully trained and qualified Mental Health First Aiders.
They also provide short courses in mental health to help businesses support employees as well as making counselling accessible for everyone.
Unlockyouryou.org.uk | [email protected] | 0800 193 0355.
