By Counsellor/psychotherapist Gill Jardine and Minds Anonymous Founder Louisa “Wizzi” Magnussen
A is for AWARENESS
Just as we are aware of our physical health, for example if we have a cold or a pain somewhere, we also need to be aware of our mental health. This means noticing our moods, levels of energy, interest in our world and the wider world, sleep patterns, eating habits, to name just a few!
B is for BALANCE
We need to seek balance in all areas of our lives. Perhaps a good example is work as opposed to leisure/rest. In many cases the decision of when we work may not be entirely down to us as work hours may be laid down by somebody else. However, we might well have the choice of how we use the other hours available to us and this is where taking care of our mental health may come in. In other words, balance your activities where you can, ensuring you get enough leisure and rest time. We may call this work/life balance.
C is for COMMUNICATION
Unless we live as a hermit, we need to communicate with others to some extent in our everyday lives whether that be at work, with family or friends or in pursuit of further understanding of the world/education/knowledge/seeking/personal development etc. It might be helpful to become aware of how we prefer to communicate as individuals. For example, some may communicate more effectively through speech and thereby enjoy sending voice notes, others the written word or even through visual stimuli. Some may be most comfortable communicating face to face. Although we may have a choice at work of what method we prefer, it could help in our personal lives to have this self-awareness and utilise the various communication technologies available to suit us.
D is for DAYLIGHT
This one is probably self explanatory and relevant to both physical and mental health. Even if your work and/or your leisure are inside, take some time to go outside and breathe the air. Perhaps take a walk or enjoy your lunch on a park bench. Vitamin D is essential to our health.
E is for EDUCATION
No need to aim for a degree or a professorship, unless of course that is what you want, but educating yourself about yourself and what your needs are can help you take control of your life. Learn about how your body and mind work in conjunction with each other and stay curious, learning can be a most enjoyable pursuit.
F is for FAMILY AND FRIENDS
Family and friends can be difficult to reach out to at times but just know they are there. You will likely have a gut feeling on who to approach when and who perhaps cannot give you the time you need at any given moment. So trust your gut and keep reaching out. It’s important to give time to those important relationships in our lives.
G is for GENTLENESS
Here I mean gentleness towards yourself. It is so easy to beat yourself up because of something you have or haven’t done. We all get things wrong and make bad decisions, we are human. It can be useful to reflect on our actions to some degree but, we need to be gentle with ourselves and gradually try to let go of what we cannot change. This conscious gentleness may then allow us to move forward from tricky places of self doubt and enjoy the good decisions we are making.
H is for HELP
Help is out there, take a look and you will find it. People like to help others, it builds their self esteem. If you don’t ask, you don’t get. Helping others can also help us so if you’re struggling to ask for help, seek out people you can support and you never know it might just work both ways.
I is for INDEPENDENCE
Something most people want and don’t necessarily get. To be independent may well require help from others – aha you say, but that is not independence! Well I would dispute that. We cannot provide everything we need for ourselves. Independence is identifying what we need and going out to find it, and probably seeking necessary support along the way.
J is for JOURNAL
Journaling may not be for everyone but it is surprising how helpful it can be to clear the mind. Something may be going round and round in your mind but getting nowhere. Put it down on a piece of paper, you might be surprised at the effect. How do you think we come up with these support articles?
K is for KINDNESS
An act of kindness very often attracts another act of kindness in return. We are gifted with this wonderful concept of altruism whereby we also feel good if we help another. Look around you, you may just see small acts of kindness everywhere that you just needed waking up to.
L is for LOVE
Love is a good feeling whether it be love of pizza, love of films, love of your partner, love of your dog or a myriad of other things – enjoy what you love, that fuzzy feeling will feed your mind with the good stuff!
M is for MINDFULNESS
I use mindfulness to find some peace and quiet within myself. This can be done by employing the senses for a few moments. Look around you, wherever you are, and take in what you see, what you can hear, what you can smell, what you can taste and what you can touch. It is simple, always available to you and I highly recommend it.
N is for NEEDS
We all have needs and it is helpful to work on identifying what they are and then to go about meeting them. This does not mean you are needy, it just means that you have become aware of what makes you feel at ease with yourself and your life.
O is for OPTIONS
Another word here would be choices. In order to be relaxed and content in our lives we need to be able to change things that don’t feel right. Consider your options. People can think they have no options – this is not often the case, you need to look carefully.
P is for PURPOSE
This is such an important concept in maintaining good mental health. We need purpose, we need to feel effective, as if we are making a difference. We may find this in a job but it can perhaps be a little more difficult if we are not working. There are many other ways to fulfil this need if we are not working. For example helping others, volunteering, caring for another, adult education classes and many others.
The main point is that we need a reason to get up in the morning!
Q is for QUIET
Whilst we may think we want quiet, sometimes it can be difficult to sit with total silence. There are so many comforting sounds that could be part of your ‘quiet’, such as music, the sound of water, nature’s sounds. Find your ‘quiet’ and then you might enjoy it and find it restful.
R is for REST
So important and again and very individual. Something one person finds restful another doesn’t. Find your rest and seek the space and time to enjoy it.
S is for SELF-CARE
On an aeroplane the hostesses/stewards always tell you to make sure you are wearing your own oxygen mask before helping anyone else. This applies to everyday life, you need to take care of yourself before anyone else.
You could start by considering the points raised in this A to Z!!
T is for TIME
For good mental health, you need to be a master of your time rather than the other way round. We can be in a permanent rush should we so choose, or we can spend a little more time considering our schedule. The latter is by far the better way.
U is for UNCERTAINTY
Uncertainty is part of an ever changing world. It can be unnerving, paralysing, and interruptive. You want to get on with something but you are perhaps being held back by your own self-doubt. Again, take charge here, ask for help or support if you need to. Even when we get things wrong, these provides lessons we can take forward into the future.
So go for it, uncertain or not, and enjoy the learning journey!
V is for VARIETY
The expression says ‘variety is the spice of life ‘. We do seem to like different things happening in our lives and some of us get bored very easily and become frustrated with the lack of a challenge. If this is you, get out there and see what there is that appeals to you and never stop exploring the world.
W is for WORK
Another area where we need to be the master even if we have an employer calling the shots. If you enjoy your work, it will add to your good mental health, however, if you don’t, it might be trickier. We talked earlier of options, this is somewhere where these might need to be considered if possible. It may not be easy to make healthy career decisions but it is important to consider our mental health in our workplace. If we are not feeling psychologically safe at work it may be time to explore other options with a mind to finding our place in the world of work that fits with us as individuals.
X is for XYLOPHONE
Colourful, noisy and ever so much fun as a child. The xylophone could be a reminder of the spirit of youth. The carefree, fun seeking beings we start life as, should not be forgotten in later life. Engage with your inner child, play, sing, dance and never forget your humanity.
(Can you tell we struggled with the letter X!)
Y is for YOURSELF
Of course the main focus when considering mental health is yourself. You need to pay attention to yourself and respond when you notice that things are not quite right. Time spent on you is well spent and very necessary to maintain good mental health
Z is for ZZZZZZZZZ
Sleep of course is extremely important to both physical and mental health and must be taken seriously. Learn how you can get good sleep and seek support if your sleep is poor. I cannot stress the importance of catching regular healthy ZZZZs enough.
Take care of yourselves and stay well.