{"id":417,"date":"2020-05-12T15:26:44","date_gmt":"2020-05-12T15:26:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/sdn\/?p=417"},"modified":"2023-06-16T12:32:12","modified_gmt":"2023-06-16T12:32:12","slug":"mental-health-awareness-week-2020-18-22-may","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/sdn\/2020\/05\/12\/mental-health-awareness-week-2020-18-22-may\/","title":{"rendered":"Mental Health Awareness Week 2020 (18-22 May)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A Bit About Me (Nick)<\/h1>\n

 
\nI\"Nick have been an anxious person all my life. One early example of this was developing stress induced shingles when preparing for my GCSEs! I was diagnosed with GAD (generalised anxiety disorder) and depression when I was 21 and have been on medication ever since as well as going through a number of rounds of counselling and CBT therapy.
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\nMy mental health before the current crisis was in a pretty good place but the mental and physical strains of the current situation have really challenged me.
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\nWhether you have experienced mental health problems before the current crisis or you are experiencing them for the first time as a result, there has never been a more important time to be kind. Kind to each other and kind to ourselves.
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Being Kind to\u00a0yourself<\/h2>\n

 
\nAll of this tips below are things that I have read, been told or discovered myself and are things that help me. Hopefully there might be a point or two that resonates with you too.
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Talk and be heard<\/b><\/h3>\n

The reason this one comes up so often with mental health is because of just how impactful it is. The only thing I want to add to this message is something I often do when speaking to people about my worries and anxieties.
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\nOften people want to fix our problems \u2013 it is a very natural response and is always well meaning \u2013 but most of the time we just want people to listen and empathise with us. Before starting to open up I ask people (politely) if they can just listen and empathise rather than suggesting any solutions or actions. This makes a big difference and can really help make you feel heard and respected.
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Read<\/b><\/h3>\n

I have read a number of self-help books and been recommended far more. Finding someone who talks about a particular experience in a way you identify with can be immensely powerful and help you feel less alone in your worries.
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\nThis is purely a personal recommendation but the one that has had the biggest impact on me is F**k it: The Ultimate Spiritual Way, by John C. Parkin. The thing this book challenged me on was my perception of what is important and how I apportion my time and my energies. I still get this wrong almost constantly but I often think about the messages in this book and use them to reframe my worries.
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Gratitude journaling<\/b><\/h3>\n

I have often thought about keeping a diary but I have never found the motivation to keep it going, what I have done is gratitude journaling. Gratitude journalising will, over time, help re-frame your outlook and appreciate that there is good in every day however small.
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\nEach day you write down three short points about what you are grateful for and most importantly why <\/b>you are grateful for that thing. The key is to be very specific and relate them to that particular day, not just \u201cI am grateful for my friends\u201d. Here are mine from today:<\/span><\/p>\n