FOCUS: MENTAL HEALTH

World Mental Health Day and Self Care

World Mental Health Day – 10 October – was a day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy. This year’s theme, Do You See What I See?, challenges perceptions about mental illness in Australia and encourages everyone to look at mental health in a more positive light, in an effort to reduce stigma and make way for more people to seek the help and support they deserve...

Tim Hoopmann, Speaker and Trainer

Experienced founder with a demonstrated history growing small business. Strong entrepreneurship and professionally skilled in Business Planning, Cloud Technology, Sales, Marketing, and Operations Management. A passion for helping small businesses use technology as a key enabler to increase productivity and decrease costs.

A volunteer speaker for beyondblue, an Australian organisation that works to raise awareness of anxiety and depression, reduce the associated stigma and encourage people to get help.

1in 5 Australians are

affected by mental illness annually, yet many don’t seek help because of stigma. During the COVID-19 pandemic, prioritising mental health and wellbeing has been more important than ever. This World Mental Health Day – October 10 – the message was simple: “Look after your mental health, Australia.”

It is a great reminder of the importance of one’s own personal health and well-being. Self-care is any activity that we do deliberately in order to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health. Although it’s a simple concept in theory, it’s something we very often overlook. Good self-care is key to improved mood and reduced unbearable. I felt I was always

stress and anxiety. It is key to a good relationship with oneself and others.

Where do you begin? 1. Stick to the basics. Focus on activities that work for you. Get these right and you are off to a great start. well.

2. It needs to be something you actively plan and not something that just happens. Make a plan, write it down, block time in your calendar. Stay focused. 3. Keep an open mind, believe that the activities you choose will help you take care of your mental health. Focus on the outcomes.

many years was rewarding and challenging. When things were running smoothly if felt wonderful and the best job in the world. At other times the pressure felt juggling the needs of clients, employees, suppliers and the tax office. I struggled with finding time for myself.

This seesaw effect was often difficult to manage. It took great perseverance to juggle all the different needs a business throws at you each day. Over many years I learnt to manage the highs and lows. I don’t feel I was ever an expert at it, I just found different approaches for me that worked Running my own business for

Over time I became aware of the challenges I would face on a daily basis. Learning about the best way for me to cope with them took time. I would trial different approaches. I would listen to my mind and my body. I learnt to be mindful of my stress levels and asses when the levels were reduced. I built resilience.

I realised to be successful and survive, I needed to manage these challenges. They weren’t going away. I wanted to continue running my own business and in doing so

I had to take care of myself. There were times when I didn’t, and I suffered. Rather than blame myself, I learnt to be kind to myself.

Everyone manages stress in different ways and it’s important to be aware of this. One solution does not fit everyone. It is important to seek out what works for you. It may take time and some trial and error. By persevering you will discover what ways you can better manage to relax and unwind

your mental health and what activities will make a difference.

Over the years I found focusing on the following has helped me better manage the challenges I face each day:

Do it now

A good night’s sleep

• 8 hrs work best for me and I wake refreshed. • Winding down prior to sleep by disconnecting from my tech devises has a positive impact on the burden on family or friends

my sleep

Exercise in the morning

• This energises me for the day and helps make me more resilient to what is coming my way • It sets up my day for success

Volunteer

mental health and wellbeing at

• It is wonderful giving out, with no expectation in return • The volunteer work I do for

Beyond Blue allows me to give back to the community and helps others. It’s a wonderful feeling

Use positive words

• I always get a much better response when I start with a positive • Positive words create positive around me then react more constructively

Set a start & end time each day

• Staying late doesn’t give me time • Setting boundaries around my work time keeps me more focused

• When I complete tasks, even the difficult ones, I feel more in control • Scheduling tasks and due dates keeps me on track

Share

• This really helps me to offload and talk about issues • I find having a mentor or coach is a great benefit and allows me to share with them and this lessens

Spend time with your loved ones

• The most important part of my everyday • Spending time together makes life worthwhile It might seem hard to focus on

energy for me. Then I find those How much time do you spend this time but prioritising this is more important than ever. Making a mental health promise is a great way to remind yourself to look after your wellbeing.

Here are some examples of promises you can make to yourself:

• Eat well and be healthy • Call a friend or family member today • Take time out to play • Find some colour and fun in your day • Find joy in the little things • Explore new hobbies • Look after your mental health • Bake something yummy, or at least try • Make exercise part of your routine • Volunteer

Every day it is important to take time to reflect on yourself. Not just on World Mental Health Day. Think about how you are feeling and if there are things you could do differently to take care of your wellbeing.

Don’t wait for the next World Mental Health Day to make a mental health promise.

Ask for help early and remember

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