Today is world Mental Health day so I thought let’s talk mental health and mental resilence.

It’s often not spoken about due to stigma but it affects everyone across their lifetime.

According to the Mental Health Foundation, 1 in 6 people in the past WEEK experienced a common mental health problem.

Please see the Mental Health Foundation Website.

Reflecting on these statistics, I want to share my top tips and coping mechanisms.

But firstly, I start with a CHALLENGE. I challenge a phrase I once used to say and hear much too often when we stressed and overburdened and actually need most to take time to look after our mental health:

‘I do not have time for this’.

BUT

Taking the time for your mental health and personal resilience is an investment that saves so much time later. I like to think of this best as stopping the pot from boiling over as opposed to cleaning up the mess later.

Self Care Thought:

You are important and deserve to put your health first. It’s also important because of the impact it has on those around you.

So here are my 5 top tips:

• No Tech Time. Simply unplug for some time. For example, I regularly pop my phone on flight mode.

• Have real communication and foster real and authentic Relationships. These meanful relationship help manage stress.

• Recognise your feelings and identify the true or untrue thoughts that cause them.

Image sourced from Cognitive Behavioural therapy

• Get up, Get out and Move – dance, work out or go outside and get some fresh air.

And finally:

• Schedule time where you have no planned output, expectation or to-do lists. This time is all about the 3’R’s – Relax, Recharge and Rebuild Bandwidth. However you achieve, that is up to you.

But in this time, you do not do endless chores or inconsequential activities nor go home and answer calls, emails or engage with any of the endless demands for your time and attention.

This time is all about putting yourself as the number one priority and building in time to pause and have a break from the constant pressures and expectations we put on ourselves.

I challenge you to give yourself this time. In the Immortal words of Marina and the diamonds ‘I am not a Robot’, we are not Robot and therefore we should all invest time in staying mentally fit and resilient.

Simply Ayo here, Championing mental health.