World Mental Health Day
Mental Health UK’s theme for this year’s World Mental Health Day on 10th October is something simple yet so powerful: “Everyone is encouraged to think of the number one thing they can do to support their mental health.”
So many of us start every day with a head full of commitments – an ever growing to do list of family obligations, deadlines at work and household chores to name a few. How often do we ask ourselves – how can I take care of my mental health today?
We are all on our own journey with mental health. If anxiety levels are increasing, make time to have a check in with yourself. Take time out from whatever you are doing and observe what is going on. What is it that you can do to help yourself? What is within your circle of control? When you start to unpick a situation that is causing anxiety you can see where you might be able to change aspects so it becomes less stress-inducing and more comfortable.
If you haven’t come across the circle of control before it is a really helpful visual tool that you can use throughout your day, applying it to home life, work situations and so on. It will help you identify aspects that you have control, influence, and power over [Conceptualised by Stephen Covey, 1989]. https://learningloop.io/glossary/circles-of-influence#:~:text=The%20Circle%20of%20Control%20includes,the%20weather%20or%20global%20politics. This tool can encourage you to become proactive and make change and be more accepting of other areas where your influence is minimal. It will help you to focus on what you can start, stop, continue, or change within your circle of control that would have a positive impact on your wellbeing.
If it’s your child, get them to paint, take part in outside play, or just play with sensory toys. We can all find ways to look after our mental health.
This World Mental Health Day join with Mental Health UK and put your mental health first. Make it not only your personal priority but a priority in every setting. Prioritising mental health isn’t just a powerful theme to promote on the 10th October – it should be an ever-present theme in everyone’s life.