Mental health articles

improve your mental health and mood It is useful to plan how you might look after yourself when working in a situation that is known to be stressful. This can be seen as a kind of immunisation to prevent mental health problems later on. The kinds of activities you may do to look after your mental health can be practised by any health worker.

• Relaxation and meditation. Relaxation exercises can be
very helpful in dealing with stress when practised daily. These exercises are very similar to meditation techniques such as yoga and prayer.
• Creative and fun activities. Always set aside some time each day for activities that you find interesting or fun, but which are not related to work. Spending ‘fun’ time with the family or friends, reading a book, gardening, sewing or taking a walk are examples of simple activities you might enjoy. Creative
activities may include writing a poem or story or doing a
drawing.
• Improving your surroundings. If your work surroundings are dirty, this is bound to have an effect on your mental health. Tidying up, fixing broken windows or chairs, putting colourful drawings or posters on the walls, trying to cut down on noise and allowing as much natural light into the rooms as possible can help improve your work environment, and your mental health. This is best achieved by working together with all the other people who share your work setting.
• Sharing and socialising. There is no substitute for sharing and talking to others to improve your mental health. Take time to talk to your spouse or friend about your day at work. Listen to your colleagues’ experiences so you might support them in their difficult moments, and learn from them.
• improve your mental health and mood Forming a support group. This is a very useful way of helping yourself and your colleagues. A support group consists of people who share something in common, in this case the fact that they are all health workers. The group should meet regularly to discuss shared concerns and problems.

Tags: Health, mental, Mental health, mood