the bdp colouring book
What is mental health?
Mental health issues are a normal part of life. In any one year, approximately one in four people experiences at least one diagnosable mental health issue, and the World Health Organisation forecasts that by 2030, depression will be the single leading cause of the global burden of disease. The long-standing stigma around mental ill health means that many people have limited understanding of mental health.
World Mental Health Day
World Mental Health Day, on 10 October, is a day for us to unite in our efforts to improve the mental health of people around the world. The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) theme selected for this year is suicide prevention. World Suicide Prevention Day (#WorldSuicidePreventionDay) is observed on 10 September and has been for more than 15 years. Every 40 seconds someone loses their life to suicide. These combined efforts aim to raise awareness of the scale of suicide around the world and the role that each of us can play to help prevent it.
What is mental health first aid?
The aim of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is to extend the concept of first aid training to include mental health issues so that team members are empowered to provide better initial support. MHFA is the help offered to a person developing a mental health issue, experiencing a worsening of an existing mental health issue or in a crisis. The first aid is given until appropriate professional help is received or until the crisis appears to have been resolved. The aims of MHFA are to: 1. Preserve life where people may be at risk of harm to themselves or others. 2. Provide help to prevent the mental health issue from becoming more serious. 3. Promote recovery of good mental health. 4. Provide comfort to a person with a mental health issue.
MHFA is typically offered by someone who is not a mental health professional but rather someone in an individual’s social network. There are many reasons why MHFA is required: 1. 2. 3. 4.
Mental health is common. Stigma exists. Many people are not well informed. Many people don’t receive adequate treatment. 5. People may lack insight to see help is available. 6. Many members of the public don’t know how to respond. 7. MHFA is effective.
Top Tips
Physical health Looking after our physical health can help reduce any additional stress and impacts to our mood. This may simply mean taking steps to get the recommended seven hours’ sleep each night, keeping hydrated throughout the day, reducinng caffeine intake, eating foods containing essential vitamins or going for a brisk 30 minute walk each day.
Take regular breaks Although it sounds counterintuitive, taking regular breaks is proven to boost productivity. A change of environment can help our minds recharge and maintain greater focus throughout the day, whilst also boosting blood circulation in our bodies, resting our eyes from the computer screen and providing an opportunity to stretch to accommodate our sedentary working lifestyle.
Be your own best friend High expectations of ourselves and our busy lives can often lead to people neglecting self-care because there isn’t enough time. At these critical moments, small invaluable acts of self-care can be incorporated, such as simply turning in for an early night, or cooking your favourite meal. With many responsibilities coming from different areas of our life dictating what we should be doing, sometimes it is necessary to stop when things get too much. Looking after yourself enables you to be the best version of yourself which, in turn, enables you to carry out your responsibilities to the best of your ability, which is all anyone can ask of you.
Connect with your support network Communicating regularly with those you trust is invaluable, as we strongly believe in the saying that a problem shared, is a problem halved. Talking to someone may help lift the weight off your shoulders; it can be therapeutic to talk things through and useful to seek advice.
Keep up with hobbies It is important to make time to keep up with activities we enjoy and make us happy to increase our resilience to stress. The release of stress is key to maintaining a feeling of equilibrium, so that we feel able to cope with the stresses and strains of daily life.
Take notice Changes of mood are a part of daily life; however if uncharacteristically low or high moods occur more frequently or for longer periods of time, it would be useful to note whether there have been any specific events that have triggered this change, how long these episodes occur and what impact this has had on you. We recommend seeking help from a GP or other mental health supporter if you are worried about your mental health, are finding it difficult to cope or feel that enjoying life is more challenging. Early recognition and intervention can be an important step. With one in four people affected by mental illness, there is a vast amount of support, knowledge, experience and information available, should you need it.
Journal Putting pen to paper to offload thoughts, ideas, to-do lists and reflect on events can help overcome feelings of being overwhelmed. This process also allows you to quantify, prioritise and evaluate tasks, providing a clearer picture of the scenario and developing a greater understanding of how best to move forward.
Why colour in?
Sometimes, with all life’s responsibilities, we forget that we need to take the time to look after ourselves and take care of our own mental health. Taking even just a few minutes on a regular basis to devote to a hobby is enough to calm our minds and remove us (if only for a short period) from our present stresses and worries. Colouring in is an activity that takes us back to a simpler time, when we did not have as many responsibilities, and could just do something because we wanted to, for the pure joy of it. To be able to tap into this time has an exceptionally therapeutic and recuperative effect and the focus that we place on the act of colouring in is a powerful deterrent from focusing our minds on physical or emotional pain. It induces a mindful and meditative state, which can soothe a stressed mind, allowing you to think with more clarity and to make you feel more balanced in your lifestyle.
Stress busting activities
No one knows better than you what helps you to relax and step away from life’s daily stresses that can grind you down. It is important to develop your own personal list of stress busting activities that help you to free your mind from cyclical troubling thoughts that remove your attention from all the good things in life. Taking the time to do these activities regularly will help you to develop emotional strength and give your mind the space to take control of your situation and adopt a positive outlook in life. Stress busting activities come in all forms; they usually involve something that can focus your mind on something productive or something that can soothe your mind and free it from intrusive thoughts. These may include creative art forms (drawing, painting, dance, music), gardening, sports and exercise, cooking, being close to nature and animals and meditation. These activities won’t make your stress disappear, but they will reduce some of the emotional intensity that you may be feeling, clearing your thoughts and allowing you to deal with your problems more calmly and effectively.
Help available at BDP
Your director: Maintaining a good line of communication with your director is essential if you are facing issues. Directors can help guide you to the appropriate services and support you at work. HR team: The HR team is trained to deal with sensitive issues and is an excellent place to start if you feel you need to talk about your problems. Validium: Validium is available to all BDP employees and is found on Planet. This confidential service provides practical advice, support and counselling for you either by phone or online 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Private Medical Insurance (Flexsme): If you have opted into the Private Medical Insurance initiative, a range of services is available to help you including the newly launched Mental Health Pathway. The Mental Health Pathway allows you to refer yourself for counselling and therapy services and provides a fast-track for clinical assessment within 48 hours. MHFA: Your Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAs) have all undertaken mental health training and are there to offer support and guidance to direct you to appropriate avenues of help, as well as providing a non-judgemental listening service. All interaction with MHFAs is strictly confidential and offers an informal way to make contact if you need help.