Four lessons to support your mental well-being

The ways you can access support for your mental well-being vary. Over October, we see lots of ways suggested through discussion generated from awareness events; including Mental Health Awareness Day (10th), National Work-Life Week (10th- 15th) and Baby Loss Awareness Week (9-15th) which all happen within the same week! I hope by now you have read my personal experiences and professional perspectives on all these topics (if not, check out my thoughts on baby loss, mental health, and work-life balance). I proactively advocate conversations around these issues, as well as action to be taken by organizations all year round. Today, however, I am going to suggest ways you can support your well-being, through the four lessons gleaned from some of the books I have reviewed in my book club.

 

It’s clear by this point that I put a lot of weight into the power of words. Sometimes it’s a place to escape to, other times, like now, they are there to educate and support. I find including books linked to well-being is an impactful way of supporting my own health, and also, a way of accessing a perspective that is new to me. They give the readers the language, and the tools to make sense of how complex the layers of our mental and physical are, and to give us permission to make changes where we can. 

 

So, with this in mind, I wanted to share with you four lessons that can support your mental well-being (and that of those around you). It goes without saying, that to get a full impact of each lesson, read the whole book. 

 

Four lessons to support your mental well-being

 

You need to know your tipping points from A Toolkit For Modern Life by Dr Emma Hepburn

Early on in the “toolkit”, Dr Hepburn highlights the building blocks of mental well-being and what can get in our way (namely coping mechanisms vs stressors and vulnerabilities). She encourages self-reflection to make sure we know the healthy coping mechanisms that work for us, such as sleep, exercise, connection, and the things that can stress us, work, poor physical health, stress and worries. If you were to write up your “capacity cup” right now, how would it look?

 

We aren’t designed to be alone from Together by Dr Vivek Murthy

 In historical terms, the shift to individualism (in part driven by a capitalist culture), is a fairly recent one. We are not evolved to be so “alone”, or with limited social connections. These feelings of loneliness impact how we think and behave, as well as how our body functions. So being impacted by loneliness is not a personal fault, it’s a symptom. As stated on page 42 of the book “ … our current state is different from what our physiology is engineered to support”. So where can you start reconnecting or improving connections, one person at a time? 

 

We are always evolving from Frazzled by Ruby Wax

 Although we would like to think we are ALWAYS in control of our emotions, sometimes, in the heat of the moment, our “animal brain” takes over. We have an instinctive fight or flight reaction, which in the modern age, leads to stress and overwhelm. The body and brain don’t know the difference between a physical threat and an imagined, or psychological one. Being more aware of our emotions and WHY we are reacting in that way, can help in the immediate (to manage that reflex) and in the longer term (to manage the emotions as they occur)

 

 

Sleep and Dreams are medicine from Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker

Research has found that there are two stages of sleep: NREM and REM. One of the functions of sleep is to cleanse the brain. It rebalances our emotions, helps us learn, reduces our risk for certain diseases, helps us be more creative, innovative, and productive and supports healthy relationships. So, we do need to prioritise sleep itself!  

As Walker states at the end of the book “this silent sleep loss epidemic is the greatest public health challenge we face in the twenty-first century in developed nations…a radical shift in our personal, cultural, professional and societal appreciation of sleep must occur…I believe it’s time to reclaim our right to a full night of sleep, without embarrassment or the damaging stigma of laziness” 

 

Finally, as an extra bonus, I want to recommend the whole of Therapy is Magic by Jo Love. For anyone who is considering therapy to support their well-being, Jo’s book takes your hand and guides you through all the questions you may have, and a few you didn’t realize you needed to know!  

 

 

Which will be the next step you will take in protecting and improving your mental well-being? Come along to Creating Careers to Enjoy and share with the group.

 

 

You can find the previous titles, and read the reviews, by following this link.