'Mental Health' is a term increasingly seen and used in all areas of life. In the last week I have seen and read numerous articles on Youtube, in books, online and at work increasing knowledge on the subject. The aim is to remove the stigma so people feel more able to share their feelings and subsequently gain the support that everyone may need at different points of their lives.
Due to his fight with Deontay Wilder this week there has been a lot of attention given to Boxing Champion Tyson Fury who previously has sufferred from depression and spoken openly about his mental health. One of the most striking comments I recall is that if someone such as Fury, a high profile sportsman within a macho sport can be affected then anyone can; and it is okay to not feel 100% all of the time.
This leads to why I have written this post because recently I haven't been feeling at my best. This has led to feelings of anxiety and frustration which inevitably has impacted on my interpersonal relationships. There are reasons I can attribute this to, a lack of sleep, suffering from a cold and a series of deadlines and events requiring my presence and attention. Due to this overall state of busy-ness I have not given sufficient time to relax, meditate or indulge in methods of self care such as eating healthy food, exercising or taking a relaxing bath. Furthermore I have not given sufficient time for my friends and family.
Fortunately I have a day coming up which I plan to use to recover and I know the steps I intend to take to get back on the right track to optimal mental health. Catching up on sleep, getting tasks done, exercising, relaxing, goal setting and scheduling time for these exercises will hopefully improve my outlook and confidence to conquer life's challenges. This coupled with the longer, brighter and warmer days of Spring should bring positive changes.
Overall, I feel confident that my negative feelings are temporary and am fortunate there are people around me that will help give me the boost I need. In the future I'm sure there will be times when I feel at a low ebb and similarly these people may require my support in return. A problem shared is a problem halved and by writing this I already feel more confident and able to return to my best. I hope that anyone reading this will also feel more empowered to speak out about any problems they may be suffering from; life is so fast it's normal to need a helping hand from time to time.
