“How are you?” A question asked as frequently as the sound of a kettle boiling in any sane British household in a single day. Sometimes this question is an icebreaker when standing in line at the post office queue, where a short and sweet answer is more convenient. In this scenario, unless you are planning on having a one-sided staring competition, we tend to blurt out a snappy “good thanks, how are you?” as if a reflex.
On the other hand, someone asking “how ARE you?” would require you to genuinely think about how you feel and why you feel a certain way. With an exception to my mother who would always be sure to always tell you exactly how she felt, only recently have the majority of us been comfortable enough to open up about our mental health and begin sharing honest answers.
With the subject of today’s blog being about Mental Health, without sounding too much like your head of year in a high school assembly, I will be dissecting this broad subject of discussion into 3 simple questions.
What is mental health? How do I acknowledge my mental health? and, What can I do to improve my mental health?
What is Mental Health
Defined by the World Health Organization, Mental Health is a state of well-being in which:
-The individual realizes his or her own abilities,
-Can cope with the normal stresses of life,
-Can work productively and fruitfully,
- Can make a contribution to his or her community.
With standards this high, and a list as long as this there’s no wonder we all find it difficult to maintain a consistently good mental health every day! Although having now lived through 3 national lockdowns, I’ve had a lot of alone time to reflect and build up to a standard I’m happy with. For me, Mental health is the driving force allowing me to be productive, positive and energised for the day ahead. This seems to be the standard for the majority of people, it’s considered a ‘good mental health’.
How do I acknowledge my mental health?
How conscious have you been today?
I don’t mean in terms of the environment, I’m not nagging you for window shopping at your favourite high street shop, or even when you open the door at the sudden ring of the bell (or in my case the awakening of the once peacefully sleeping and now violently barking dog) to receive these items. You can read another ‘Aurora Answers’ blog for that!
No, I mean did you put thought and intention into your actions today? As well as the obvious meaning of being alive, being conscious for me means not wasting 8 hours of my day in the comfort of my bed responding to the Tiktok for you page with half-enthusiastic releases of breath through my nose. It does mean waking up feeling motivated and ready to face the day!
Here are 2 ways which help me acknowledge my mental health:
Journaling: As someone who loves to write, starting and ending my day putting pen to paper is a great way to acknowledge my mental health. Setting my intentions in the morning for the goals I’d like to achieve, as well as reflecting on any events which have occurred in the evening is a great way to begin processing your emotions.
Meditating: It may not be for everyone, and even I don’t do it every day, but sitting listening to a guided meditation even for 10 minutes is proven to reduce negative emotions. Sitting on your bed with your own thoughts may be quite a difficult task at first as suddenly all the thoughts you could imagine are running wild in your head as soon as your told to sit with a clear your mind! With perseverance, mediation has endless benefits you can discover.
What can I do to improve my mental health?
It’s never too late for a fresh start. In fact, how about you start today, It’s important to look after yourself and your mental health. Here’s a starting point to make your day great….
Step 1: Conquer the warm cocoon of your bed. You will need to leave eventually so how about setting up an activity you can do first thing in the morning to motivate you. Maybe, like me, you’re the type of person who would benefit from going out and getting some fresh air to start your day; just throw on a hat, splash your face with cold water, and march out that door! A morning walk or run is great for releasing endorphins which reduce both stress and anxiety.
Step 2: Eat good and feel good! That's what they say right? Eating healthy has so many benefits including better mood and improved energy. So how about swapping a frozen dinner for something homemade.
Step 3: Set up a zoom call with friends. During this pandemic, it can be lonely to spend such long periods of time stuck indoors. At least once a week I hop on a Zoom call with my friends where one of us has set up a fun quiz or game night where we can all catch up on our week and have fun!
Step 4: Do what makes you happy! Finding time to focus on my hobbies is always sure to brighten my mood, especially on a weekend after a busy working week. Whether you love painting, music, dance or cooking. Spending time doing something you love is a great creative outlet. If you don’t have a hobby how about trying something new!
So, when you are next asked how you are, take a deep breath and answer with confidence that you are okay. Not because your subconscious jumped ahead with a pre-conditioned answer (like the dodgy Instagram shops in my DM’s, seemingly personal with an undertone of copy and paste). But because you have taken all the steps to align yourself for creating the best mentality so you are radiating with happiness and positive energy!
Have a lovely week ahead and remember, be kind to your mind!
IG: @sabrinaxbernard
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