Mental Health....two words that get thrown around in a lot of different contexts, so what is mental health and how can we make sure that just as we look after our physical health, that we also look after our mental health.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines Mental Health as; 

Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community. It is an integral component of health and well-being that underpins our individual and collective abilities to make decisions, build relationships and shape the world we live in.

(World Health Organisation)

 So when we talk about mental health we are talking about coping with and managing our everyday living in an ongoing way... finding the joy and fulfillment that our relationships, families and jobs can bring. This doesnt mean that everyday will be wonderful or devoid of pain, grief or challenges but being mentally healthy means that we have the capacity to work through each day and process ongoing issues both personally and professionally.

When we injure ourselves physically, we dont hesitate to go to the hospital and see a doctor or tuck ourselves in bed and rest when we catch a cold. We also look after our physical health proactively through regular checkups and eating well, for some reason looking after our physically health seems a lot easier than looking after our mental health, however the two are connected and so often physical ailments are a result of unchecked and unprotected mental health. 

For example, anxiety and depression are associated with mental health issues in fact in 2022 2 in 5 (44%) of Australians experienced a mental health disorder in their lifetime and had experienced symptoms in the 12 months before the survey was conducted. (Mental Health Services Australia, 2023) 

So what does it mean to look after our mental health and how can we be proactive about staying mentally healthy?

Looking after our mental health is actually something we need to plan and be intentional about, just like we plan for maintaining our physical health

Below are7 tips to improve your mental, health and therefore your capacity to enjoy life.

1.Be You!- allow yourself to be human, feel your feelings, recognise that negative feelings are not "bad" they are there to tell you something's not right.

2.Practice Mindfulness- be present in the moment, practice the pause...breathe

3.Sleep- sleep is when our brains are most active- processing the days events and emotions, while our bodies are in a basal metabolic state our brains are working hard to clean out cells and neurons that have been working hard during the day- so sleep

4.Be Kind-to yourself!- this is so important, you are valued, worthy and created uniquely- believe you are worth it!

5.Have fun, laugh, create spaces for enjoying life

6.Connect- meet a friend for coffee, join a group, go for a walk with a family member- find like-minded people who you can just be yourself with.

7.See a therapist- Just like you go to your Dr for a checkup make an appointment with your therapist for a mental health checkup.