Mental Health Awareness
“Showing unreserved kindness to anyone around you, having honest conversations and spending quality time with people you care about… can all help to reduce the potential for that ultimate sacrifice of life.”
Mental Health Awareness
I always feel a bit conflicted in whether to contribute to mental health days/weeks/months… the notion that we only focus on it for a given period is ludicrous but also, much like noting any particular day, why not take the opportunity to talk about mental health if it can open up conversations and contribute to reducing stigmas related to mental health?!? So here I am…
It feels like as a society we have come a long way, I see young people more open to discuss feelings, more emotionally literate and intelligent. People I know feel increasingly more comfortable to talk about their wellbeing. But there are still so many people suffering and struggling.
Having been impacted by someone who took their own life and having had similar dark thoughts myself in the past (linked to child hood traumas, social anxiety, low self esteem) I now recognise that it could be like that for anyone I know, and we just might not know because we are all great mask wearers! So the more we TALK, I believe it can only be a positive thing.
I want anyone to know who might be feeling lost, or like their life is not worth living sometimes - I feel you. It IS possible to get out of that, but almost impossible to do it alone.
So whether you feel like this or not, checking in with friends and family, showing unreserved kindness to anyone around you, having honest conversations and spending quality time with people you care about… can all help to reduce the potential for that ultimate sacrifice of life. If I had done something different, could I have prevented my friend taking his life - maybe not - but had society been where it is even now with talking more about our mental health, then yes, maybe this could have prevented the spiral in the first place.
I feel proud to have overcome many battles in my head, and to feel like I can now TRUST myself to be OK in the face of any hard times that will inevitably come my way. It doesn’t just happen overnight though. I have worked hard to find self worth, to accept my responsibility for my actions, to explore language and perspectives that align to who I want to be.
I do not have all the answers at all, I probably have lots of questions though…
I suppose what I am saying though is that when I started to work on myself, rather than expecting people to fix me or save me… that’s when everything started to change for the better. I invested in myself: time, money, energy! My wellbeing became a priority!
I have had counselling (NHS and private), psychotherapy, I have done mindfulness courses, and had several coaches that have helped along the way at different stages. I have read books, listened to podcasts… and then I became a coach myself, because I realised, if I can navigate all this stuff, then I want to be able to show others that it is possible. And yes I am still discovering more about myself, becoming more empowreed, and growing and evolving all the time.
A huge part of my journey has been in accepting when I needed help, reaching out to get support, but also making the effort and being an active participant in my journey, not just passively sitting in front of a therapist expecting them to cast a magic spell and for all the pain to go away. I’ve sat through pain, I’ve looked at bad decisions and actions, the light and the dark of who I am. I accept all of who I am now (most of the time) with compassion, and I am committed to be the best version I can be. I will inevitable still get it wrong, but at least I’ll be more aware and I know that my intentions are always good - I now have enough self compassion to accept that this is good enough!
Top tips to nurture your own mental health:
Speak to someone you trust - a friend, colleague, family member - you don’t even need to go too deep, just CONNECT
Seek professional help - counselling, therapy courses, a coach. And, PERSEVERE, your GP might not get it right first time with who to suggest - go back to them if it doesn’t feel right. See below for some links to various helplines that could help in the first instance.
Spending time OUTDOORS - moving or stillness - both have their benefits - don’t think about it, just take that step oustide.
Create your own WELLBEING TOOLKIT- see previous blog on this. Everyone’s toolkit will be different.
Be your own BEST FRIEND first and foremost - think about what you would do to support a friend and do that for yourself. You can read a blog on this too.
Did any of this resonate or help you?
Jen 💕
HELPLINES & RESOURCES
Samaritans OR Call 116 123
Breathing Space OR Call 0800 838587
NHS Inform OR Call 111
Mind OR Call 0300 123 3393
Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH)
WAYS TO WORK TOGETHER
If any of this has resonated with you, and you want to start looking for support, reach out!
I strongly recommend having a coach. You can find out more about one to one coaching with me here or just send me an email.
