Mental Health Awareness Week

May 16 – May 22 is Mental Health Awareness Week 2016 and to raise awareness, we would like to share our suggestions for a healthier and more positive lifestyle – inside and outside of the workplace.

It is well known that anxiety, sleep deprivation, exercise, work environments and work lifestyle can all impact our mental health. So here at RLD we have come up with 5 positive things you can do to feed your mind and soul!

Baking

A couple of year’s ago for Mental Health Awareness Week we showed you a delicious recipe from Eric Lanlard . Research has proved that baking is not only good for your soul but can have a particularly constructive impact on your mental health too. And it tastes amazing!

Good Relationships

The Mental Health Foundation believe we need to focus more widely on the quality of our personal associations. The theme for Mental Health Awareness Week this year is relationships, which are integral to health and well-being and as vital as eating well, exercising more and stopping smoking.

Gardening

According to research from Harvard, a good session of digging and weeding in the garden is not just great exercise, it is a good workout for our mental health too. Soil is said to be an anti-depressant and it has been shown that living close to vegetation can help lower levels of anxiety.

Meditation

Meditation or mindfulness is an integrated, mind-body based approach used to manage thought and feelings. Practising mindfullness can not only boost your ability to stay attentive and concentrate but it can help interaction with others, thus improving relationships. Meditation provides a flexible set of skills to manage mental health and support well-being.

Learning

Continual learning and developing new skills builds confidence and creates a sense of achievement. People who learn continually throughout their lives are known to experience greater satisfaction, optimism, and an improved ability to get the most from life. Continuing to learn post-childhood usually results in a greater ability to cope with stress and higher feelings of self-esteem and purpose.

For more information on health and well-being in the work place, check out The Biopolar Businessman’s blog!