Ahead of world mental health day tomorrow (10 October), we wanted to take a moment and offer you some simple tips that should make a difference to your own wellbeing.
If you ever need help or support with your mental health, don’t hide away – there is a lot of information online and charities like Mind are always ready to take your call.
Anyway, here’s five easy to remember and easy to implement tips.
Eat well
Having a good diet doesn’t just benefit your physical health, it affects how you feel too. Improving your diet can boost your mood, give you more energy and help you think more clearly.
Drink sensibly
Drinking alcohol never offers a permanent solution, and you’ll usually feel much worse once the effect wears off. We’re not saying don’t drink at all – just be mindful how often you’re drinking and how much.
Also, be sure to stay hydrated throughout the day – balance out those teas and coffees with plenty of water.
Do something you enjoy
We all have something we love doing, something that we can lose ourself in – it might be something creative, it might be going for a run or it might just be sitting down and reading a book. Whatever it is for you, find the time to treat yourself and do it.
Indulging in a hobby or passion will help you beat stress. And, if you enjoy doing something, chances are you’ll be pretty good at it too, so you’ll probably get a boost in the self-esteem department too.
Look after your online mental health
The internet is a spectrum for mental health; at one end, loads of information to help you work through difficult times and find people who can help, while at the other there’s the potential to encounter horrible people and places that could make you feel worse.
Most of you reading this will work in social media and so will already know what sources you can trust and hopefully you’ll know that incoming messages are aimed at your organisation and not you directly.
Use the internet and social media to connect with like-minded people and, if you’re comfortable with it, share your experiences – it can really make a difference.
Switch off
This can be difficult to do, but the benefits are hard to argue with. If you can take a break from social media – even just for a few hours – do it. We posted some ideas earlier in the year about how employers can social media managers do this…feel free to share them with your boss!