This Mental Health Awareness Week, the Mental Health Foundation are asking people to join them in taking action to support good mental health.
Even small actions can help us feel hopeful and less powerless. And while our individual actions matter, when we come together, we are even more powerful.
At Premier Training, we are supporting that aim with our mental health advice for students. Whether you are studying via distance learning or as an apprentice, we hope that our guidance below is helpful.
Talking about mental health
Tip one is to please seek help and talk about and ask about mental health. It’s important not just to look at how people are feeling in themselves but also to look at how confident they feel with seeking help when they need it. Despite the common view of students as sociable and well-connected people, they are actually among the least likely to reach out for help for a mental health problem. Our advice is please talk about your mental health and make space for your friends to talk about theirs’ too.
Perfectionism and brain fog
These are common symptoms and experiences of people experiencing stress. When we think of perfectionism, we usually think of someone with extremely high standards who gets everything done to a perfect level, but anyone who suffers from procrastination is likely to be experiencing perfectionism. It’s when you’re so overwhelmed by thoughts of not being good enough that you struggle to complete anything or to use your time effectively. You might procrastinate or put off starting a task because you’re worried about not being able to do it well. Reading up on these experiences can help you to recognise that they’re happening. It’s a sign that you need to step back, give yourself a break and think about a new way to tackle the task at hand.
Get out into nature
A previous theme of Mental Health Awareness Week was nature because spending time around nature has hugely positive effects on our mental health. This could be as simple as sitting on your doorstep listening to birdsong or caring for a houseplant indoors. If you can, try to go for a walk every day and just pay attention to the nature around you.
Consider mindfulness
Tip four is to consider mindfulness. It’s the practice of clearing your head by focusing only on the current moment. Some people find it really helpful in stressful situations, so why not try it now?
Focus on your sleep
Your sleeping environment is critical in terms of the quality of sleep you get, so try switching off your devices an hour before bed. Do something relaxing before you go to sleep and try not to look at any screens whether that’s a TV or a phone or a tablet. Getting good quality sleep regularly has a huge impact on our mental health.
The Mental Health Foundation website is packed with more information and free resources – please do take the time to have a look.
