World Mental Health Day
It won’t have escaped your attention that today is the International Day for Mental Health. A day for everyone around the world to talk about life experiences and how the pressures of life can have a significant impact on our well being. There are some frightening statistics that demonstrate just how important this is for us in 2019.
For many of us the workplace is where we spend a significant amount of our time and it is hardly surprising how much impact the working environment can have on our overall mental health.
In recent years we have become more aware of mental health issues amongst the male population whereas once upon a time it was considered ‘depression’ is something only women experienced.
I myself have suffered with poor mental health on a few occasions in the past and on one particular occasion my state of mind was directly related to my place of work. The impact on my life was significant.
Over the years since then, with the help of talking therapies, I have managed to develop improved resilience so that the days when things become too much for me to deal with are fewer and farther between as time goes on. But I am never complacent and try hard, not always with success, to keep a check on myself and my surroundings both physical and spiritual.
Choosing to work with someone who can help you gather perspective on a situation, perhaps work related, can bring some much needed balance in times of stress, and, in some circumstances, prevent things escalating to the overwhelm that is so hard to deal with.
In my own experience counselling made the world of difference at the point when I really needed and at other times having someone to help me keep things in perspective before my ‘issues’ gather legs has been a massive help too.
If you, or someone you work with, is starting to feel that sense of overwhelm growing then the best time to take action is now. Don’t be afraid to speak up, don’t be afraid to ask for help and please don’t think it will pass but it might not and every day counts.
As a Myers Briggs (MBTI) Practitioner I feel fortunate to work with individuals to help them identify some of the triggers that can have a negative impact on their workplace well being. Taking time to understand how we tick can stop the ‘gremlins’ from convincing us that we aren’t good enough. Recognising how others tick can stop us from ‘blaming’ ourselves for everything. Allowing ourselves the chance to grow can give us the chance to achieve great things.
If you have an interest in Workplace Well Being either from an employer or employee perspective you might find this MBTI Report from May 2019 worth a read.
I’d be interested to hear your thoughts and experinces.
If you need help right now… click here Mind Samaritans
#itsoknottobeok #worldmentalhealthday #youmatter #stopthestigma
