Protecting your mental health and well-being - In Professional Development

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week and we have worked with organisational psychologist and INPD associate tutor, Sean Riley to give you a very brief insight into protecting your mental health and well-being with some easy to implement tips.

During times of change or challenge it is natural to experience feelings of stress and anxiety; the problem occurs when these feelings constantly recur and get in the way of normal life and activities.

Stress and anxiety are not necessarily caused by events, but more likely by our perception. Everyone is different and a trigger to stress for one person may not be the same for someone else.

Stress can result in us feeling disengaged at home and in work, it can result in bad decision making and completing tasks that were once easy can become difficult. It is important to remember that this is not a true reflection of the person and we should not judge our self or others by what we would call a speed bump in life.

So, what can you do to assist in becoming and remaining mentally healthy?

Be self-aware and be aware of the environment that you are in. The Kubler-Ross provides a good model to gauge where you are in relation to a situation; we are currently experiencing one of the most significant environmental changes we could imagine.

Consider where you are and think about how you would like to move forwards. Remember it is fine to sit back and do nothing for a while; take your time but be decisive and set some positive and achievable goals

Be attuned to others around you and have an awareness of the difficulties they may be facing – there is nothing more rewarding than acknowledging and tending the needs of others. A simple act of kindness or a few kind words can go a long way. I would certainly say that we should not judge people by their actions, as we don’t know what inner battles they are fighting.

Focus on simple steps to happiness and self-improvement. Try keeping a mood diary or journal so that you can identify the ingredients that you need to be happy daily, and from this you can formulate your own recipe.

Life is about balance – doing the things that make us happy can increase our resilience to things that might not be so pleasurable.

This is just a brief insight into protecting your mental health and well-being, and if you would like to learn more or if you need help, please get in touch either by email or direct message and we would be more than happy to talk.

According to the official NHS website one of the best ways people can help their mental health is to learn a new skill which will boost their self-confidence and their self-esteem. It allows people to connect with others and build long lasting relationships, both professional and personal, as well as defining their sense of purpose. If you would like to know more about our programmes visit our courses page.