Ireland has a very high rate of suicide and we have all been touched by it in some way. The stigma of mental illness is finally eroding and the fact that we have a day that allows talk and discussion is great.  It’s important to consider the question “How’s Your Mental Health” on a regular basis.

Doctors tell us that our mental health is very important. Anyone of us can be affected by a knock that life throws at us. Having the tools in your mental fitness belt can help. The little things you do all add up.

1. Be mindful of negative thoughts and learn how to cope with them. They cannot be blocked but distracting yourself from them or giving yourself a break (be kind!) may help. If they get too much there are lots of people out there qualified to help you and they want to help.
2. Tap into your ‘inner resource’. Clinical psychologist Richard Miller, Ph.D. has recognised the importance of this and has been working a lot with trauma survivors including returning soldiers from war. Think of your happy place…be it a place, sound, smell etc. Tap into this and think of it a few times in the day – every day – until it becomes a part of you. So when a negative experience happens you can go to this ‘inner resource’ and maybe deal with what is happening in a calm, controlled way. See www.irest.us for more details.
3. Try become more mindful of where you are, who you are with, what you are doing. It may mean turning off the phone. Do one thing at a time. Become focused on what you are doing.
4. Exercise – the importance of this cannot be emphasised enough. There is so much information and studies on how exercise benefits one’s mental fitness. Join a walking group, join a gym, take up yoga!
5. Hobbies are a great way to switch the chattering mind off too. Doing something you enjoy not only occupies the brain but will release endorphins and make you feel good.
6. Set a personal goal, maybe give yourself a month to do it and then reward yourself with something on completion. Keep it simple but of course, the reward can be big!
7. Express yourself! Tap into your creative side and help release some emotions …writing in a journal, art, singing (even in the shower). Anything that gets your tapping into the creative, left side of the brain.
8. One of the simplest ways of keeping mentally fit is to laugh. However, there will be times when this is probably one of the hardest things to do. In this age of easy access to everything, there is so much comedy out there. Have a go-to show on standby that you know will give you a giggle…for me its ‘Saturday Night Live’ and there are plenty of old sketches on YouTube.
9. Have you ever thought of volunteering? It’s one of those win-win activities. As humans, there is an inherent want to help others and the reason is that it, in turn, makes us feel good. The other side is the receiver of your help benefits too.
10. Self-care – think of the flight attendant telling you that ‘when the mask comes down in the event of loss of cabin pressure, place on your own mask first before attending to those with you’. How important it is to look after yourself or you are no good to those around you…in a nutshell! Any of the above can be considered self-care. Even 2 minutes of self-care every day is a good place to start. An hour massage once a month is a necessity, not a luxury. Make a point to make time for yourself. It’s an investment for your mental fitness.

What will you do to kick-start your mental fitness regime?

Sites you might find it helpful to visit:

• Console 24/7  Suicide Helpline  (formerly known as 1Life)
• Bodywhys
• Health Service Executive (HSE)
• Headline
• Mental Health Ireland
• Mental Health Reform (previously the Irish Mental Health Coalition)
• MyMind
• National Office for Suicide Prevention (NOSP)
• Pieta House
• Reach Out
• Social Anxiety Ireland
• St. Patrick’s University Hospital
• Teen Between
• The Family Support Network
• The National Suicide Research Foundation
• The Samaritans
• Turn2Me
• http://www.yourmentalhealth.ie/
• Aware.ie