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Canadian Mental Health Week May 7th -13th

Mental Wellbeing is a state in which a person realizes his or her own potential and can work productively and confidently with a sense of personal satisfaction.
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Canadian Mental Health Week May 7th -13th provides an opportunity to focus on what mental health and wellbeing really is.

According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, it is much more than being happy all the time, which, let’s face it, is unrealistic. It’s about feeling good about who we are and what we do. It’s about being able to manage life’s highs and lows and having the capacity to create balance in our lives.

Mental Wellbeing is a state in which a person realizes his or her own potential and can work productively and confidently with a sense of personal satisfaction. It is the capacity to connect with others and build good relationships. It is also the capacity to recognize and address unhealthy relationships.

All people deserve to feel well and to be able to access appropriate support to deal with Mental Illness when it is of concern. Fortunately, in recent years access to appropriate supports in various forms has increased greatly. Go online and you will find a number of helpful sites as well as apps and u-tube videos that contain information on mental health, mental illness and paths to wellness. Contact information on local services and organizations can be found online and at your local library.

The following seven steps to mental wellbeing are reminders of some of the things we can do to help develop and maintain our Mental Health and Wellbeing. They are research-based and I encourage you to access further information on them.

Step 1. Get enough sleep: Most of us are fully aware that the recommended daily amount of shut-eye for mental and physical wellbeing is 7-9 hours. Lack of adequate sleep affects our capacity to think and respond optimally. There are many studies on the ways sleep deprivation affects us and it is a foundation for wellness so it needs our attention.

There are numerous recommendations about bedtime rituals, what not to consume in the evening, keeping the room dark, use of earplugs, sleeping room temperature, etc. Research points to the importance of limiting screen time prior to bed and to keeping devices either out of the sleeping area or turned off and well away from the body. This is especially true for children whose growing brains are particularly vulnerable. In addition, the research on the long-term effects on childhood exposure isn’t nearly enough for us to be willing to take chances with our children’s brain health.

Step 2. Connect: Reach out to the people in your life, friends, neighbors, colleagues at work and family. Focus on developing a connection with them, get to know them and interact with them. Lots of us loose connection with various family members, old friends etc, but with the use of technology it is possible to re-engage and enjoy connecting once again. Allow yourself some reflection beforehand on who you wish to reconnect with and how much you wish to engage. Try to be present and engaged with whomever you encounter throughout your day.

Step 3. Be active: Walk, Cycle, Dance, Swim, Jump Rope! Anything that gets the heart rate up and allows oxygen to the brain. An activity you enjoy will be easier to do regularly, and the activity you enjoy the most will engage even more of the’ feel good’ neurotransmitters and hormones that we produce naturally with activity and are a proven benefit for those dealing with anxious or depressed mood.

Step 4. Keep Learning: Not only does learning a new skill and increasing your knowledge bring you a sense of achievement and confidence and stimulates ‘feel good’ neurochemicals, that are further stimulated when we choose something that excites us and has personal meaning or purpose. We can increase our options for ways to connect with others by learning in a group setting such as learning to play a musical instrument, take a cooking class, etc.

Step 5.

Give to others: It doesn’t have to be your life savings or anything! A small gesture of thanks, a kind word at an unexpected time, a genuine show of appreciation. Some people labor under the misconception that to say “thank you” or “sorry” is a show of weakness, while nothing could be further from the truth. Volunteer if you have the time. Giving in these ways gives back.

Step 6. Cultivate being present: Noticing and embracing life as it unfolds. If you are busy (and who is not these days!), set yourself mini breaks during which you purposefully relax and settle into the present moment, noticing your breath moving in and out of your body while noticing your surroundings. Research clearly shows how repeating these actions over time contributes to increased feelings of well being.

Step 7. Laughter: Laughter is excellent for our mental health. Be proactive and during potentially stressful times seek out comedy. It comes in many forms and promotes connection with others who share a similar sense of humor.

Mental health week is an excellent time to boost our Resilience by developing Habits of Mental Wellbeing that will help sustain us during those inevitable yet manageable stressful times.

If things should get to the point where the usual coping strategies no longer help remember to reach out to your local services for help – it is never a sign of weakness.

Submitted by Jean Thomas-Mitton on behalf of The Creston Community Mental Health Awareness Committee that can be contacted through Valley Community Services at 250-428-5547.