Looking After Yourself and Others This World Mental Health Day

World Mental Health Day will take place on Sunday, October 10th.

Here at Xplore, we wanted to share a few online resources that may help you discover new ways of looking after your mental health. Some of these resources may also help you understand how best to reach out to a family member or friend who is struggling with theirs. 

Five Ways to Mental Wellbeing 

Mental Health Ireland has put together a short, animated video on how to look after your mental wellbeing. The actions — Connect, Be Active, Take Notice, Keep Learning, and Give — are proven, evidence-based methods for helping to keep your mind well. 

Finding the Words

This World Mental Health Day is a good opportunity to check in with yourself and your loved ones. But for many people, it can be difficult to know where to start.

Here's a straightforward, comprehensive guide on how to voice your thoughts and start a conversation with a loved one about how you're feeling: https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Individuals-with-Mental-Illness/Disclosing-to-Others.

If you're worried about someone else's mental health, the HSE has published guidance on how to broach the subject and offer them support. This article on what you can do may be of help to families and friends. 

British author Matt Haig is known for his honest, personal, and accessible writings on mental illness. Many people suffering from depression and anxiety have found two of his books — Reasons to Stay Alive and Notes on a Nervous Planet — particularly helpful for putting what they are feeling into words. 

Here are the top 10 takeaways from Reasons to Stay Alive: https://www.tolstoytherapy.com/takeaways-reasons-to-stay-alive/.

Making Time for the Outdoors

As we head into what's sure to be a wet, windy, and cold winter, it only going to get harder and harder to make time for the outdoors. Yet spending time in nature can have a profound, positive impact on our mental health, as evidenced by dozens of recent scientific studies.

For reference, here's a piece we put together a few months ago on the stress-reducing effects of spending time near water.

This World Mental Health Day, St. Patrick's Mental Health Services are running a nationwide campaign to encourage people to get out and walk for their mental health. The campaign 'Walk in My Shoes' will see people across the country donning their 'funkiest', colourful shoes for a walk in the name of hope, wellbeing, and recovery. 

You can take part no matter where you live. More info on the full lineup of events can be found at www.walkinmyshoes.ie.