Tips to look after your mental health
FOLLOWING on from the launch of Talk To Tom’s sister website Headspace Gorey in February, Talk To Tom has been busy creating tools for people to use to combat stress and anxiety as well as suicidal ideation during the Covid-19 crisis.
Supportive tips include distraction and talking to others where possible, as well as only getting your news from reliable and factual sources.
Talk To Tom recommend that we as a community support each other through this time, checking in on friends and family by asking how they are feeling.
With news being constantly updated with new figures and cases, try limit your consumption daily and avoiding ‘fake’ articles and sites as reading this will only scare, worry and confuse you.
A tip for distraction from the virus includes focusing on what is going on around you, for example if you are in a car or walking, count how many blue cars you see or how many people wearing red.
Keep active for 30 to 40 minutes a day by going for walks, practising sports, cycling and engage the mind in mental games such as spelling words, count backwards, singing.
Practicing relaxation creates the opposite effects to stress and anxiety, in that it lowers the heart rate and reduces blood pressure.
There are many relaxation techniques that work for different people, but start by trying some at home with free downloadable mindfulness, yoga and relaxation phone or tablet applications.
Talk To Tom recommend meditation and breathing exercises, to try and clear your mind daily.
When some thought or worry enters your mind, acknowledge it and allow it to leave by taking some deep breaths and continue the day a new person.
Keeping your body healthy is important in times of stress and we tend to reach for sugary and fatty foods, but these foods can release more stress hormones, making our feelings worsen.
However, we can reduce stress by opting for fruit, vegetables or snacks low in sugar and fat.
Talk To Tom recommend taking the pressure off, as we are in unprecedented times for our generation and it’s a lot of pressure for everyone.
It is tough to stay at home and not see your friends or peers, so with these restrictions and just general worry about our own and our loved ones health, it is natural to feel anxious.
If you are having dark thoughts, Talk To Tom recommend creating a written plan including tips to stay calm and reasons to live that is extremely beneficial, as well as creating a list of all the good things in your life so you don’t lose sight of them.
A personal safety plan is also important if you feel you might hurt yourself, so Talk To Tom recommend self identifying signs and signals, remove any possible triggers and think clearly about this when you’re in a positive mood.
It’s also recommended to make a list of key contacts for those you can talk to when you need support.
For more help and advice as well as helplines, visit www.headspacegorey.ie and if you need help, call or text Talk To Tom on (0818) 303061 or 087 2952999.