The first World Mental Health Day was celebrated in October 1992, and has continued to be celebrated every year since, on 10th October. Each year is celebrated with its own individual theme, for example last year (2019) was based around suicide prevention. This years theme, set by the World Federation for Mental Health is ‘mental health for all’. As Mental health is a human right, they believe it’s time that mental health help became available for all, particularly as as the world grapples with the current health emergency.(*)
We therefore need to make mental health a reality for all – for everyone, everywhere.
Mental Health can affect everyone, from the person suffering themselves, to those watching their friends and family experience the struggles than mental health issues can cause.
“Mental health problems affect around one in four people in any given year. They range from common problems, such as depression and anxiety, to rarer problems such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder”. (**)
Tips from Mind on how to improve mental health and manage stress (***)
It’s important to make time in your day to do something you enjoy and will help you to relax and take time for yourself.
- Take a break – If you’re feeling overwhelmed by a stressful situation, try to take a break. A change of scene can help you to relax and relieve feelings of anxiety, even just for a few minutes.
- Do something you enjoy – Try to make time to do an activity you like on a regular basis. This could be something small, like cooking a meal, ringing a friend or listening to music.
- Try to manage stress – If you’re under a lot of pressure, you may start to feel overwhelmed or out of control. Stress can also cause physical side effects.
- Try mindfulness – Techniques like meditation, breathing exercises and yoga. It’s been shown to help people become more aware of their thoughts and feelings. This means that instead of being overwhelmed by your feelings, it becomes easier to manage them.
Good mental health doesn’t have to mean that you’re always happy, however poor mental health can make it more difficult to cope with daily life. If you feel you or somebody that you know is struggling from poor mental health it’s important to speak to somebody you trust or a mental health professional, nobody should suffer mental health issues alone or in silence.
At The Eaves, many of our therapists are offering online therapy sessions as well as face to face sessions. This can give you the chance to access mental health support in different ways, depending on what suits you best. If you are looking for support, please call the referrals team on 01483 917000 and they will be happy to source a suitable therapist for you based on your requirement.
(*) https://wfmh.global/world-mental-health-day-2020/
(**)(***) https://www.mind.org.uk/get-involved/world-mental-health-day/