Mental Health Matters

Mental Health Matters is here to provide you with weekly tips, resources, events, and methods to help you achieve better mental wellbeing and happiness.

April is Stress Awareness Month. Did you know? Stress within our lives, especially if it occurs over a long period of time, can increase the risk of heart related illnesses such as a heart attack, as it can increase our blood pressure and lead to unhealthy coping habits like smoking or drinking alcohol more often, or eating unhealthy comfort foods.

That’s why it’s important to have some healthy coping strategies up our sleeve that we can use when we experience stress in our daily lives.

NICHS.org has created 5 tips for managing stress which we have listed below, click here to check out their website for more tips on reducing stress and living a healthier life:

1. Connect – Keep in contact with family, friends, colleagues, and neighbours, particularly those that live alone, using online video tools and telephone. Remember that constant news/social media updates may increase your stress levels. Only view creditable sources, and it may be helpful to limit how often you check these.
2. Be active – Regular physical activity can benefit both your physical and mental health. Find something you enjoy. Take time for physical activity including exercise outdoors in line with government advice or try out online physical activity classes at home. Remember that gardening and housework also count.
3. Take notice – Acknowledge your thoughts and feelings and be kind to yourself. Let go of what you cannot control and focus on what you can control. Try out some online Stress Management tools, which include videos on breathing techniques, reframing and mindful cooking.
4. Keep learning – Take time to relax by learning a new skill. Learn a new language online, try a new recipe, listen to a podcast on a topic you want to learn more about. This gives us a sense of achievement and increases our confidence and enjoyment.
5. Give – Giving our time to help others also boosts our own wellbeing. Try a random act of kindness such as delivering groceries/ medication for someone that cannot leave the house. Don’t forget by staying at home you are helping your community and the health service.