Today is World Mental Health Day. Mental health problems can affect anyone, any day of the year, but 10 October is a great day to show your support for better mental health and start looking after your own wellbeing. Taking care of our mental health We all need to take care of our mental health and wellbeing whether we have a mental health challenge or not. Mental wellbeing describes how you are feeling and how well you can cope with day-to-day life. It can change from moment to moment, day to day, month to month, or year to year. We have some tips on practical steps you can take to improve and maintain your wellbeing including making time for yourself, building positive relationships and getting active. Think about what is affecting your wellbeingWe're all different. What affects someone's mental wellbeing won't necessarily affect others in the same way. But we all have times when we have low mental wellbeing, where we feel stressed, upset or find it difficult to cope. Common life events that can affect your mental wellbeing include:
Stress, loneliness, inactivity, lack of sleep will all have a negative impact on your mental wellbeing. Other times there is no clear reason for why we feel the way we do - which can be frustrating. There are some factors that may make you more vulnerable to experiencing a period of poor mental wellbeing. These may have happened in the past or might still be happening now:
No matter the reason, it can be helpful to remember that you deserve to feel good and there are steps you can take to improve and maintain your mental wellbeing. How can we help? FD Consultants support anyone who has been impacted by trauma through work or personal circumstances, whether directly or indirectly. We offer consultancy to organisations when implementing a trauma management programme and duty of care policies for psychosocial support. FD Consultants offer services to enable individuals to remain resilient in highly stressful environments and situations. We have expertise in sexual violent crime, crisis management, family liaison support, psychological first aid, trauma, and wellbeing services. We support individuals suffering burnout, vicarious trauma, acute traumatic stress, cumulative stress, and compassion fatigue. Individuals may be impacted by, or work in highly pressured environments, such as warzones, natural disasters, civil unrest, terrorist attacks, sexual violent crime and harassment, and managing disease epidemics. Contact us today to find out how we can help you...
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Hosted by the Mental Health Foundation, Mental Health Awareness Week 2019 will take place from Monday 13 to Sunday 19 May 2019. The theme for 2019 is Body Image – how we think and feel about our bodies. All of us live with our bodies as they evolve and change. Just as all of us have a role in shaping an inclusive culture where we help others feel comfortable in their own skin. Body image and self-esteem start in the mind, not in the mirror. They can change the way you understand your value and worth. Healthy body image and self-esteem are a big part of well-being. Body image is mental and emotional: it’s both the mental picture that you have of your body and the way you feel about your body when you look in a mirror. Healthy body image is more than simply tolerating what you look like or “not disliking” yourself. A healthy body image means that you truly accept and like the way you look right now and aren’t trying to change your body to fit the way you think you should look. It means recognising the individual qualities and strengths that make you feel good about yourself beyond weight, shape or appearance, and resisting the pressure to strive for the myth of the “perfect” body that you see in the media, online, in your communities. Self-esteem is how you value and respect yourself as a person—it is the opinion that you have of yourself inside and out. Self-esteem impacts how you take care of yourself, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Self-esteem is about your whole self, not just your body. When you have good self-esteem, you value yourself, and you know that you deserve good care and respect—from yourself and from others. You can appreciate and celebrate your strengths and your abilities, and you don’t put yourself down if you make a mistake. Good self-esteem means that you still feel like you’re good enough even when you’re dealing with difficult feelings or situations. Why do body image and self-esteem matter? Body image and self-esteem directly influence each other—and your feelings, thoughts, and behaviours. If you don’t like your body (or a part of your body), it’s hard to feel good about your whole self. The reverse is also true: if you don’t value yourself, it’s hard to notice the good things and give your body the respect it deserves. Below, see how good body image and self-esteem positively impact mental health: These are just a few examples. As you can see, good body image, self-esteem, and mental health are not about making yourself feel happy all the time. They are about respecting yourself and others, thinking realistically, and taking action to cope with problems or difficulties in healthy ways. Below, see how poor body image and self-esteem negatively impact mental health: As you can see, the problem with negative thinking and feelings is that once people start to focus on shortcomings or problems in one area or one situation, it becomes very easy to only see problems in many other areas or situations. Negative thinking has a way of leading to more negative thinking.
How can I encourage a healthier body image?
The next time you notice yourself having negative thoughts about your body and appearance, take a minute to think about what’s going on in your life. Are you feeling stressed out, anxious, or low? Are you facing challenges in other parts of your life? When negative thoughts come up, think about what you’d tell a friend if they were in a similar situation and then take your own advice. Be mindful of messages you hear and see in the media and how those messages inform the way people feel about the way they look. Recognise and challenge those stereotypes! Today is World Mental Health Day. Mental health problems can affect anyone, any day of the year, but 10 October is a great day to show your support for better mental health and start looking after your own wellbeing. Taking care of our mental health We all need to take care of our mental health and wellbeing whether we have a mental health challenge or not. Mental wellbeing describes how you are feeling and how well you can cope with day-to-day life. It can change from moment to moment, day to day, month to month, or year to year. We have some tips on practical steps you can take to improve and maintain your wellbeing including making time for yourself, building positive relationships and getting active. If you have good mental wellbeing you are able to:
Think about what is affecting your wellbeingWe're all different. What affects someone's mental wellbeing won't necessarily affect others in the same way. But we all have times when we have low mental wellbeing, where we feel stressed, upset or find it difficult to cope. Common life events that can affect your mental wellbeing include:
Stress, loneliness, inactivity, lack of sleep will all have a negative impact on your mental wellbeing. Other times there is no clear reason for why we feel the way we do - which can be frustrating. There are some factors that may make you more vulnerable to experiencing a period of poor mental wellbeing. These may have happened in the past or might still be happening now:
No matter the reason, it can be helpful to remember that you deserve to feel good and there are steps you can take to improve and maintain your mental wellbeing. Build positive relationshipsConnecting with others can help us to feel a greater sense of belonging and can help to challenge feelings of loneliness.
Take time for yourselfAt times you may feel guilty for spending time on yourself. But it's essential for your wellbeing and can help you to be more resilient.
Look after your mental healthIf you're living with a mental health problem, taking steps to look after your mental health can help you improve your wellbeing.
Look after your physical healthLooking after your body can help to keep you mentally well. Making small, gradual changes can have a positive impact on your mental wellbeing - try to start with one or two things you feel able to do.
Set yourself a challengeFind something you like doing and do more of it. You could take up a hobby, join a class or volunteer your time for something you feel passionate about. At times it can be hard to find the motivation to set goals for yourself, especially when you don't feel confident or worry about what other people may think. But it doesn't have to be something big. Making small goals such as trying a recipe or learning the days of the week in a new language can help you to feel more positive about yourself. Ask for help
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