Tips to help you improve your mental health

The fifth Social Impact of Covid-19 survey, from the CSO published last week illustrates how people’s lives have changed in the last year. Almost 60% of people say their mental health has been adversely impacted by the pandemic, with younger people more affected.

The research done in February shows that over 15% of respondents said they were downhearted or depressed ‘all or most of the time’, in the four weeks before the survey. The comparable figure in a similar study last April during the first wave was 5.5 percent. Almost 75 percent of those aged between 18 and 34 said the pandemic was having a negative impact on their mental health.

Life satisfaction is described as “low” by over 40% of those that participated in the study. Just over 4% said the events of the last year had a positive impact on their mental health.

In wellbeing terms, everything is connected. Our financial wellbeing affects our mental wellbeing. When we are mentally and emotionally stressed, that affects our breathing and generates tension in the body affecting our physical wellbeing. And so it continues. Wellbeing is holistic and multi-faceted. Here are 7 tips to help you improve your mental health.

1. Create peace in your environment and in yourself. When your home and office are in order, that supports your mental wellbeing. It gives a feeling of space and clarity. Equally, it is important to create peace in your mind. When you think contradictory and judgemental thoughts, you can never be peaceful.

2. Team work is so important. Whether you are at home or at work, work to get along with the people around you and support each other to be and do better. If there is conflict in relationships with key people around you, you will never be peaceful. At least solve your part in the conflicts. If you don’t argue, there can be no argument.

3. Be present. The average person is present around 52 percent of the time. People who are present and focused are happier and more productive.

4. Take enough rest and sleep. There are many studies that show that people who take regular breaks during the working day are more productive and happier. The growth equation for peak performance says that stress + rest = growth. Stress + no rest = burnout. Most adults need in the range of 7 – 8 hours sleep. When your sleep is not restorative, it is hard to concentrate and enjoy life. During the working day take regular breaks – a short one after 45 minutes and a longer one every 2 hours. Take a lunch break. Keep technology out of your bedroom if you want to sleep better.

5. Be positive. If you think three positive thoughts for every one negative thought your mood will be ok. If you want to be better than ok, think more positively – about yourself and your life. A thriving mindset has a thought ratio of 5:1.

6. Keep learning. Learning is like a multi-vitamin for the mind and keeps us fresh, enthusiastic and curious.

7. Practice Meditation and or Mindfulness. Meditation is a practice of focusing your awareness on the object of your meditation. That can be your breath, a movement, sound or a mantra. Mindfulness is about paying attention on purpose in the present moment without judgment. Both bring awareness. Both will help you destress and focus which has many other life benefits from performance enhancement to leadership development.

There is a lot more stress out there. Mind yourself and those around you. Take care.