And here I am again, writing about Mental Health (there seems to be a recurring theme here doesn’t there…) and as it is World Mental Health Day, I decided to get my fingers to the keyboard and get down my two cents, for what it is worth.

Firstly, I have really mixed feelings about WMHD. In all honesty, for me, I think that it shows just how lacking we are as a species that we have to have a special day to raise awareness about something that we should all be educated about, equipped to deal with and shouldn’t have any shame and fear talking about it.

Mental Health is a term that gets banded around, has negative connotations and quite frankly that is ridiculous. Everyone, absolutely everyone, has mental health. It is an all-encompassing term that basically just sums up your thoughts and feelings. Good and bad.

The statistic is that 1 in 4 people will suffer with poor mental health in their lifetime. So a quarter of the population. To be honest, I think it is actually much higher, but there’s still so much to learn and so much stigma surrounding the topic that we still don’t feel like we can be really open and honest about the way we think and the way we feel.

On the flip side of my frustration that we have to have an ‘awareness day’, I think it also shows that we are at least going in the right direction to start an open dialogue and educate people so they can not only deal with their own shit, but also be aware enough to not contribute (knowingly and unknowingly) to other people’s.

We all know how it feels to be treated badly by another person and how much that can contribute to negative thoughts and feelings. We need to consciously make sure that we are not those people to others. Because in an ideal world, if everyone did that, don’t you think this planet would be all that much nicer to live on?

A month ago it was World Suicide Prevention Day. This year, more than ever, that one hit home. I lost someone I loved dearly a couple of months ago to suicide. Unlike any other type of death, losing someone this way is so incredibly painful as it feels as if it should be entirely preventable.

Now I am fully aware that anyone’s mental health journey is individual to that person, complex and complicated, none of it is linear and there is no cure that is a ‘one size fits all’. But even that in itself is a really important reason for everyone to step up and take the responsibility to really understand themselves, how to help themselves when they need it and find coping mechanisms so they can live their best possible life. Speak to people, help break the stigma, read about the subject, watch videos, practice mindfulness, do a training course. It’s all out there for us.

This year has been particularly hard for too many reasons to list and I fear that with the change in the seasons, we are in for a long and hard winter. If there was a time that we really needed to take care of ourselves and of others, I can guarantee that it is now.

Things that help me to feel happier when I get into a negative headspace:

1. Singing really really fucking loud to Taylor Swift
2. Painting pictures
3. Hugging my dog (or quite frankly anyone’s dog)
4. Smelling flowers
5. Walking in nice places
6. Anything nature related
7. Dawn and dusk skies
8. Speaking to my friends
9. Making nice plans (cheers COVID for making this more tricky)
10. Going for a pointless drive
11. Milkshakes (5 Guys Oreo)
12. Writing down how I feel (I cannot recommend Journaling enough)
13. Taking nice pictures (not just of myself)
14. Unfollowing anyone who makes me feel shit about myself of social media
15. Self-care (I am obsessed with facemasks, the non COVID kind)
16. Learning something new/watching a documentary (although avoid serial killer ones when you feel shit)
17. Falling down a YouTube rabbit hole of cute animal videos or any videos really that are showcasing how awesome people/animals can be
18. Do something nice for someone you love
19. Do something nice for someone you don’t know
20. Give out random smiles and compliments (a personal fave)

And as a bonus one, writing down a list of the things that make you feel good as I am now smiling writing the rest of this post just thinking of all those things that I enjoy.

Anyway, I’ll stop here with this one. Love yourself. Love everyone else.

Do good, be good, feel good. My favourite saying. Make it one of yours too. Live by it.

Ona xo