January 2021
Mental Health Challenge: Building Your Mental Health Toolkit
I don't think anyone would be surprised to hear that depression and anxiety rates have increased at an alarming rate since the start of the pandemic. A poll from The Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking in July 2020 showed that 53% of respondents reported that the stress they were experiencing as a result of the pandemic has been negatively impacting their health.
Typically individuals reaching out for clinical support are experiencing some type of mental illness however now we are seeing more and more people reaching out not because of mental illness but to get help in order to improve their mental well-being and resiliency in the face of stress.
People's stress response to the pandemic is not a mental illness. It is a normal reaction to a prolonged stressful situation. To expect that you would go through this pandemic unscathed is an unfair expectation to have of yourself.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin Madison have found that there are 4 mental health practices that can help people develop their resiliency in the face of this pandemic. The four skills are:
Awareness: We know how important mindfulness is when it comes to mental health and awareness is simply another form of mindfulness. Mindfulness or awareness can be practiced in a number of ways, whether that is formal meditation or through an informal practice like a mindful walk or a mindfully drinking a glass of water. The goal is to bring attention to the thoughts, feelings, and urges you are experiencing, and through this awareness you then have better control of you behaviours and actions. Many people find that have a mindfulness practice helps them to feel like they have more choices when they are faced with a difficult situation and feel less stuck in their negative thoughts.
Connection: The pandemic and physical distancing measures have highlighted the importance of connection. When we feel disconnected from the world, we end up feeling more isolated and alone. We can also become more harsh and negative towards ourselves. People find that they are much more compassionate and kind to themselves and others when they feel connected with their support systems. Whether that means having a daily or weekly facetime chat with friends or family, or writing letters (old fashioned, I know but also can be very meaningful!) to those that we miss, fostering the connections in our lives has never been more important!
Insight: Having an understanding and being curious about yourself actually plays such a huge role in mental illness. Getting to know others is vital but getting to know yourself is also crucial! The one person that we are with all the time is ourself and we often do not take the time to get to know ourselves well. Take the time to reflect and connect with you.
Purpose: having short-term and long-term goals that we can work towards and finding a sense of meaning in your day can help to build resiliency in the face of stress. Now that doesn't mean that you need to figure out your life purpose immediately or set 1001 goals for yourself so you are the epitome of productivity. Remember we are in a pandemic and that mean what we can do has changed, but we can still find a sense of purpose even in this environment of hardship and loss. Whether that is setting yourself a small goal of meeting 1000 steps in a day and working your way up to whatever number you wish, or starting a project that you have been putting off or simply making it a point to wash your dishes at the end of the day, as long as you feel connected with that goal it can bring a sense of purpose.
These 4 areas are connected and starting to work on one, will aid in the other 3 areas. What can you do this month to develop these four skills in yourself. Share what you have come up and hopefully we will come through January just a little bit more resilient and prepared to deal with stress.