Coping with stresses and Challenges of everyday life

Director of fundraising and communications, Mental Health Foundation Mental Health Awareness Week gives us the opportunity to ignite a national conversation about the importance of supporting good mental health. This year, the theme poses a question: Are we ‘Surviving or Thriving?’ We often forget just as with physical health there are things we can all do to understand, protect and sustain our mental health. This is an issue that affects all of us. Mental Health Awareness Week will take the conversation on mental health a step further, rather than focusing on the prevalence of mental health problems, we will ask why so few are thriving in life with good mental health.

Good mental health is about much more than just the absence of mental health problems; it is the capacity of each and all of us to feel, think, and act in ways that enhance our ability to enjoy life and deal with the challenges we face.

It is living life to the fullest and feeling able to cope with the stresses and challenges everyday life brings. Working hours blur into leisure time and the rise of social media changes the way we interact with others. However, many of us are struggling to cope – stuck on getting through the day, battling through things life throws at us that make us feel stressed or anxious. Too many of us accept experiencing high levels of stress are the price we pay to keep our lives on track.