SIGNPOSTING SUGGESTIONS FOR MENTAL WELLBEING Provided by Anne Parker, Mental health and wellbeing expert
You Tube There are so many videos on YouTube now about this topic but it is best to stick to the most revered names on the subject. Eckhart Tolle is one of the best. You might also use YouTube for soothing music or for a guided meditation. The best guided meditations are the ones by Dr Mark Williams, the retired Oxford University academic.
Ted.com There are also great TED talks that might help you. ‘Ten Mindful Minutes’ by Andy Puddicombe might give you some useful perspective. He recorded this just after launching his ‘Headspace’ app, which you might also be interested in.
Apps Dozens of apps are available for relaxation or managing anxiety in particular. The best plan is to find one that works for you and that you feel free to ditch it if it doesn’t engage you. Apps that require too much of you might not be sustainable – a gentle approach is better. Small, even ‘micro-changes’ can build over time more effectively than an intense, demanding programme.
Physical Exercise ‘Sanus corpus, sana mente’ is the Latin phrase for the ancient wisdom of ‘healthy body, healthy mind’. Anything you can do that supports your physical health is likely to support your mental health. Exercise that you enjoy will soon reap rewards. Gyms are sometimes not conducive to mental stillness, you might find that walking or daily stretches suit you better as a starting point.
Other physical strategies You may benefit from regular massage or from any of the wide range of complementary therapies available at a spa treatment centre or from medical therapists The very original (and still best selling) book on fear and anxiety was actually written in the 1970s. Susan Jeffers ‘Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway’ may help you. More directly, you may like the book ‘Finding Peace in a Frantic World’ by Dr Mark Williams. It is the UK number one bestseller.
Diet An over-stimulated survival function can enjoy some strong improvements with new choices in food and drink. Coffee or drinks containing caffeine are not helpful for example. Complex carbohydrates on days where you feel particularly anxious will make a good difference along with regular meals so that the survival function is not stimulated by long gaps in nutrition. A milky drink or a yoghurt at night will give you a boost of Tryptophan which is known to relax and prepare you for sleep. Alcohol which is a stimulant and then a depressant should also be avoided if you are keen to more efficiently manage your anxiety.
Nature The study of ‘biophilia’ shows that your mind and body will naturally respond to nature, as you yourself are also ‘of nature’! Studies also show that your survival circuitry is triggered by artificial surfaces and materials. The sound of birdsong or fresh air will have a great balancing effect on your system.
Counselling If you feel that counselling might help you then it is useful to recognise the different types and what might work for you. Some of the main ones are: CBT (Cognitive Based Therapy) Aims to extract limiting thought loops which are troublesome in some way. Once identified, these thought patterns can be questioned and then adjusted, changed or cancelled. Person Centred Counselling The counsellor is trained to view you with complete positive regard and to ask great questions that will help you find your own balance and ways through. MCBT – Mindfulness Cognitive Based Therapy Looks at how you feel emotion in the body that may come from thought loops. It will coach you on practical changes in the mind and body that particularly help you moment by moment.
Learning Programmes The Charity MIND run a number of online courses. You may also like to attend a programme in person run by an organisation such as Breathworks. Anne Parker runs a free Mindfulness class at Poulton-le-Fylde library on the first Wednesday of every month 5.45pm to 6.45pm. It is free and anyone is welcome. Other classes may be run at your local library on such topics as ‘Managing Stress’ or ‘Relaxation Techniques’. Libraries are moving towards offering classes and talks and it is likely that there is a wide choice of titles available.
Further Help Remember that Tandem can provide help for anyone suffering from mental health issues. Talk to one of our Mental Health First Aiders or visit our Employee Assistance Programme page. Find out more on the Tandem Hub Wellbeing pages
www.tandem.co.uk