Mental Health

 During the week I was flicking through TikTok when I stumbled across a video on Mental health. I did not watch all of the video as it was sounding like the poster was talking about people only having mental health if they are low and depressed. This is not the first time that I have heard mental health spoken about like this and it really annoys me. Mental health is something that we all have, all day every day, like physical health. The fact that people believe mental health is something that a person only has when they are struggling in life scares me. Our mental health is so important to take care of in order to ensure that it is healthy. There is nothing wrong with asking for help when we are finding life difficult. Other than seeking support from others there are things that we can do to look after our mental health. It is good to practice these things even when we are feeling good. If they are things that we practice regularly it will be easier to turn to them when we are feeling down and our mental health is not good. Even if we are not prone to suffering with bad mental health it is good to have practices in our lives that occupy us and keep us busy, to keep our mental health good. 

Some of the things which we can do are:

• Exercise- Especially exercise out in the fresh air is a great way to clear the head. It can be hard to get the motivation to go out for a walk when it is cold and wet outside. Join a gym, that way you can exercise no matter what the weather. If there is a swimming pool attached to the gym even better. I believe swimming is a great way to take you out of your head. When swimming you are so focused on the swimming that there is not much space left in the head to think of anything else. Personally, I love swimming, my shoulder is not a fan of it though. When I go swimming I find that if there is something going on in my head I hit the water very hard and very fast. Not a great technique, I get tired quicker this way. I usually only do a couple of laps of this before settling myself and slowing it down, concentrating on using a technique that will ensure I get to complete the desired amount of lengths and not damage the shoulder. There can be a social aspect to swimming as you can get chatting people in the Sauna or Steam room. Even in the gym you know that you are not alone in your exercise as everyone else is there to do the same. Another form of exercise that I find great is jogging/ running, a great way to take me out of my head. I always start my exercise outside walking but end running. As I walk I find my mind still going at 90 but when running I cannot think. I am so focused on keeping the pace steady so I can get to the end that there is not enough room in my head to think of anything else. 
• Go for a Hike- Exercise and fresh air. If doing in cold weather make sure to wrap up well. Hiking in nature, in the mountains is brilliant. You will see fantastic views of the country when up the side of a mountain. You also might be lucky to see deer or other wild life. On a hike recently I had a bit of a starring match with a deer. I think I broke the stare in the end, realising that I was probably too far away from it for it to be able to make out what I was. Depending on the height of the mountain there could be a bit of a climb. Like the swimming when you are climbing you cannot think of anything else other than the climb. When hiking, the ground you are walking on can often be uneven so you need to focus on where you are putting your feet especially if the ground is wet. Even when the ground is dry a step wrong can lead to a slip. 
• Music- Listening or playing. Sing your heart out. You don't even have to get the words right. Stick on your favourite song and sing along. Take up an instrument and play to your hearts content. While concentrating on the music you cannot think about the things in life that are troubling you. 
• Midfulness/ Meditation- A great way to quiet the mind and help you to be calm. There are loads of apps out there that can help you to practice these relaxing techniques.
• Yoga- A great way to do some gentle stretching exercise. Not always easy but more gentle than the usual exercise of walking, going to the gym etc. There are many different types of yoga out there. While I have not tried my hand at them all yet I believe the common factor they all have is that the person has to concentrate on their body, to make sure everything is aligned properly. And when you are so focused on your body the mind is not able to think of other stuff
• Meet up with friends- Don't isolate yourself, Meet up with friends, hang out, go for a walk, go see a movie in the cinema, go for a coffee or a drink. If your friends live far away and you cannot meet up in person why not catch up with them on a video call? Organise a virtual coffee where ye can both have a cuppa in your own house while speaking to each other through video call.
• Join a group with similar interests- In your locality look from groups that do activities that you like and join them. You can make new friends this way as you know the people in the group have similar interests. Try your hand at a new hobby and join a group that does it, a great way to make friends and learn something new also. When doing activities in a group you can chat away and not think of your troubles, things in life that are annoying you. 
• Join a team- Pick a team that plays a sport you already like or even a sport you always wanted to try your hand at. There is no I in Team. So you are not out there on the pitch playing the match alone, you have the support of your team around you to play. Also your teammates will encourage your game if you are struggling to play for whatever reason. And then at the end of a game or training the team might sit down and chat over team or a drink, socialise.

By doing a hobby you are doing an activity that you are interested in. When people do activities that they are interested in they will invest more energy in the activity as they really enjoy it. It can be difficult to get motivated to do a new activity especially if the first few times you are not very good at it. But try to persist and stick with new activities. As you get better at them you will enjoy them more.

 At times there are certain things that we need professional help in order to work through and resolve, there is no shame in asking for help. We won't always get an appointment with a professional straight away. This is when it is important for us to stay involved in the activities that we enjoy doing in order to keep our mind occupied.

Our mental health is so important. We all need to look after our own mental health and support others in looking after their mental health. Remember mental health is something that we always have, it can be good and bad. Let us work to keep it good. Rest and eating well are also vital to our mental health. If we are not getting enough sleep or eating enough food our bodies will not be able to do other activities. Also, if we are constantly going and not resting we will burn out and then our mental health will plummet. So, look after your mental health.