Trina writes –
The last 18 months has been very challenging and has had a massive impact on everyone’s mental health and wellbeing, and the way we manage our day to day lives.
We’ve all had to adjust to change in different ways which has been tough and mentally draining.
I personally dislike the phrase “get over it”. We are all under such pressure to address our problems quickly. It is important to slow down. Don’t allow others to hurry your healing, it’s a process, one that could take years, occasionally a lifetime, and that’s OK.
As part of this process, it’s important to have a coping mechanism. For me, at the start of lockdown, I decided to take part in Couch to 5km. This kept me busy during the evenings and weekends and I am proud to say that I have kept this up and run at least three times a week now.
At work, I have encouraged my team to have open and honest conversations about well-being, it’s important that we continue to support each other and look out for signs that may be out of character.
At the beginning of lockdown, I enrolled onto the Mental Health Awareness Course. This gave me greater knowledge to spot signs and symptoms of anyone struggling with mental health. I have encouraged my team to attend the training to ensure we are supporting each other and our service users effectively.
We also have the opportunity at Mears to access Mears Assist (EAP). Some of us, are not comfortable speaking to those we know about our challenges with mental health. EAP has qualified counsellors which can provide confidential 24/7 support which is available over the telephone.
For World Mental Health Day, I’d like to leave you with one quote which stands out for me – “Healing takes time and asking for help is a courageous step”.