Why do I need to think about mental health?

Mental health focuses on our psychological and emotional wellbeing. It looks at our emotions and how we think about and respond to the world around it. It can have a huge impact on our day to day lives and our relationships with those around us.

Mental health is a lot like physical health. It’s another part of ourselves that we need to keep an eye on and look after to make sure that we stay well and keep on an even keel. If we stop paying attention to, or we ignore, our mental or physical health, we can end up with more problems in the longer term. For example, ignoring a niggling back ache that doesn’t go away on its’ own can get worse over time and lead to problems such as needing time off work, struggling to do the things you enjoy and ultimately feeling depressed. Similarly, ignoring a niggling issue with anxiety or low mood that doesn’t go away on its own can get worse over time and lead to the same kinds of problems. It’s easy to ignore the niggles but if we learn to pay attention to them as they arise and seek the right kind of help or learn the right ways to deal with them then we can prevent bigger problems down the road.  This is how therapy can help you, by exploring the niggle, understand what’s keeping it going and suggesting different ways to make it go away.

Top tips for looking after my mental health.

• Make sure you get plenty of sleep. Sleep deprivation can cause anxiety and low mood.

• Spend time with people who you feel supported by and feel connected to.

• Get outdoors and spend time in nature.

• Move.

• Stay hydrated and eat well.

• Prioritise a good work life balance to manage your stress.

• Make one small but achievable change at a time to move you in a positive direction.

• Seek out an accredited therapist who can help you understand and work on the areas that are difficult for you.

If you would like some help to look after your mental health, please click the link below to get in touch and book an assessment.