Mental Health Awareness Week 2021
Two weeks ago we saw mental health awareness week. What better time to check in with our mental health and wellbeing and reflect on how well we have coped over the past year, and how we can move forwards? It’s now a common fact that one in four of us will experience some form of mental ill-health each year. But four in four of us have mental health, and that’s why it’s important for us to take the time to check in to protect our mental wellbeing.
I commonly hear people interchangeably using the terms mental health and mental illness to mean the same. In reality, they’re actually opposites. Mental health simply relates to the state of our health in terms of our mental wellbeing. Similarly to how dentists and toothbrush advertisements talk about “oral health”. So when we talk about disorders such as depression, that’s a mental health concern, or a mental illness.
A few months ago, myself and Caroline did an Instagram Live where we spoke about how to manage our mental health during covid and being stuck/safe at home. Some were covid-related, but others can be utilised every day. In this blog I’m going to focus on three of those we mentioned. Firstly I’m going to talk about physical activity, and how cheerleading can help us in this new transition phase of covid recovery.
In March I was involved in choosing an ambassador for a dance competition (Dance Creation). During that time, I was reading statements, looking at images and watching videos of the candidates. There was one video that struck a chord with me. It was a really talented athlete, but the video was so simple. She just did a running tumble pass on a sprung floor. I can’t even remember what the pass was. It was the sound that I remember. The sound of someone tumbling on a sprung floor, something I’ve not heard in so long. How trivial is that? But it was that one reflection that reminded me of the buzz of the gym and everything that comes along with it. It had me really excited for the upcoming season and seeing everyone back in the gyms, doing what they love.
It’s been so easy over the past year to have become complacent with not attending cheer IRL. If you’re in a cheerleading-slump, think back to your why. Why did you start in the first place? Why haven’t you given up already? What goals are you going to set to keep you motivated? Which feelings do you miss from being with your team, in training or at competitions?
Under 18s may have been back in the gym for a few weeks now. Over 18s may have started that return also, but there will be plenty of us that still have that degree of apprehension, and that’s ok too. We have completely changed our lives over the past year. Some of us may have adapted well, others not so well. But now we move into a new phase and it’s not going to be the same as “pre-covid”. In saying that, it’s not necessarily a good or bad thing. It’s important to remember that any phase in life is different from the previous. Things will never be the way they were, and that’s a good thing. Each day we evolve into a better version of ourselves. So it’s only up from here!
We know that physical activity and exercise can have a huge positive impact on our wellbeing. And if you didn’t know that, take it from someone who has spent a big chunk of my life studying and applying sport and exercise psychology and mental health practise. To strip it down to basics, when we exercise our body releases endorphins. Endorphins are feel-good chemicals. These biological impacts are just a short snippet of why physical activity makes us feel better.
In addition to increasing our mental and physical health, attending training helps with our routine. If you’ve been here for a while, you’ll know just how important I believe routine is for us. We’re humans and creatures of habit! I once read that the more decisions you have to make in a day, the longer you take to make a decision, and the more stressed you become. If you have a set routine, that’s less decisions for you to make, and more wiggle room for important decisions. For example, I have a conveyor belt of outfits in my wardrobe. Each outfit already has underwear attached to it. Each morning I pick an outfit from the front of the wardrobe and at the end of the day the outfit goes at the back of the wardrobe (if it’s not going in the wash). So it’s on a rotation.
Now I’m not saying this is something everyone must do – I know, it’s extreme, but this is a level of routine that works for me. I don’t have to think about what outfit I’m wearing, even my underwear is picked out for me already. That’s already at least five decisions I didn’t have to make in the morning. Now this works for me, it probably won’t work for most, but it’s an example of those micro-routines you can put in place to reduce overall stress. Other examples include a weekly meal plan, the time you eat each day, exercise, a bedtime routine, even a skincare routine. That’s not to say we can’t be spontaneous every now and again. Having a routine also helps regulate our sleep, our most basic necessity. And who doesn’t love sleep?
Lastly, I want to talk about nature. This year’s mental health awareness week’s theme was nature because it’s so important to us. Until recently (generally speaking in history) we as humans lived in and amongst nature. Even now, most of our food comes from nature and getting out into nature is a treat.
Growing up whilst attending church, I used to always hear the phrases “ashes to ashes, dust to dust”. Religious or not it always filled me with some comfort, that I was born from nature and at the end I’ll be at rest in nature. We are at our most natural state in nature, and that’s why it feels so good. Even if you live in a built-up city, getting out into fresh air and feeling the ground beneath your feet can be really grounding and helpful for our wellbeing. Next time you’re feeling overwhelmed or stressed, I encourage you to take just five- or ten-minutes walking outside, whatever the weather.
As I mentioned at the beginning, around 25% of us will be impacted by mental health concerns each year. Unfortunately, this has been exacerbated by the pandemic. Recognising our potentially negative thoughts and behaviours is the first step. Sometimes once you’ve recognised these unhelpful thoughts or behaviours, you’re able to manage them independently yourself, with social support or even with something like exercise. If it gets to the point where it’s impacting your everyday life and you feel like you can’t cope alone, there is most definitely help out there for you.
If you need long-term support, I would always advise haveing a conversation with your GP.
If you require an as-and-when chat or bit of advice, or even in-the-meantime whilst on a waiting list, I’ll share some useful organisations that may be able to provide you with just that.
Mind
Infoline: 0300 123 3393
Email: info@mind.org.uk
9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday (except for bank holidays).
Papyrus UK
Call: 0800 068 4141
Text: 07860039967
Email: pat@papyrus-uk.org
9am – midnight every day of the year (weekends and Bank Holidays included)
The Mix (for aged 14-25)
Helpline: 0808 808 4994
1-2-1 chat
Samaritans
Call: 116 123
Email: jo@samaritans.org
Available 24/7
I hope you’ve found something useful in this month’s blog post. As always, if there is anything in particular that you’d like us to cover, drop us a message on any of our socials. If you would like to feature online, tag us in your photos and use the hashtags #CFHTT and #UpsideDownTime
Ta’ra,
Rach x
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