In her second column for the South West Voice, psychologist, speaker and award winning author Margaret Lambert says checking your mental health is just as important as a physical check up:
October 10 is World Mental Health Day and the focus on mental health continues throughout the month of October.
This makes it a good time to check the state of your mental health and also to check in with loved ones.
Checking your mental health is just as important as checking your physical health.
The startling facts are that nearly 50 per cent of Australians experience mental illness during their lifetime, and it is estimated that one in five Australians will experience mental illness this year.
In Australia, the loss of life from suicide is the leading cause of death from external causes across all age groups – the loss of life from suicide is much greater than from motor vehicle accidents and homicide.
It is further estimated that only about half of the population who experience mental illness receive treatment for their condition.
There are many people who struggle in silence with anxiety or depression who are afraid to reach out for support.
It is not a sign of weakness to reach out when things are a bit tough – it is actually a sign of great courage.
Everyone has the struggle times, so find a buddy who can listen to you and your story.
In this month of October, run a mental health review by checking the following:
• Practise self-care, daily – Engage in activities that you enjoy and that feel right for you
• Learn ways to reduce stress
• Develop work-life balance
• Don’t try to tough it out on your own – things generally do not fix themselves
• Develop a sense of belonging
• Identify your purpose in life
• Connect with friends, family and with the community
• Identify your mental health buddies – those people you can talk to about the difficult emotions and situations. Have their contact details on hand.
You may need to work through some of these points with a health professional.
Remember, it is not a sign of weakness to reach out when things are tough – the concept of community after all, is people supporting one another.
♦ Margaret Lambert’s professional focus is holistic health and wellbeing, chronic illness, and the impact that our experiences have on our health and wellbeing and her fortnightly columns in South West Voice will look at all of these issues book. Margaret’s book, Longing to Live: Journey with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia received an honourable mention in the London Book Festival.
