Mental Health Awareness

As I sat in the garden listening to the wind in the trees and the birds singing, with my dog lying in contact with my leg, (to alert him, if I dare move) my brain often goes to a place in which I create analogies to explain things that feel pertinent to share.

Thinking positive mental health, which for me, is an everyday continual task, I visualised a picture of a large vertical tunnel, with an equally long ladder attached to its side.  As you can imagine the bottom was a long way down and very dismal, dark and unappealing spot with the top opening out to light, sunshine and maybe the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

To create personal context, I have been in the pit at the bottom when my brain was unable to read, unable to notice danger and implement safety behaviours, were I felt numb and could not make decisions of any kind…. but hey, I am been at the top too, and all the wonderful feelings that occur in that mental space too.

But I only found out how to manage my mental health through reflection of what I had experienced in travelling up and down that ladder, and it is those small daily behaviours that both help me to climb and also to alert me when I am slipping.

But every action has to be a deliberate one, and the actions are different for each individual.  I can only implement them whilst I am ladder bound however the more I take notice and implement the positive actions and acknowledge what the negative, unhelpful or draining ones are, the more I remain on the ladder.  From the depth of the pit, it has be interventions beyond the ‘self’ and include medical support.

My actions can be as small as noticing/caring about what I look like before I leave the house, washing my hair, creating time to eat, making eye contact, watching nature… to name a few.  This arms me with the ability to notice when I don’t do things and to notice when I need to do more.  It is an internal gauge of self-care, emotional well being, positive mental health, me time.

Where are you on the ladder? What small thing could you do to move up a rung?  Make a declaration of these things with a supportive friend, colleague, neighbour.  This gives them permission to give you a nudge when you are perhaps slipping and helps to uphold commitment to your own self care.

Summer Love

Whoop whoop the sun has been shining for ummm two consecutive days…is this dare I say it SUMMER?!

I always notice something happen in our family when the sun shines and we can all play and be outside without need for constant hot drinks to warm up…the thing that seems most noticeable for me is that the pace of life seems to slow down and slow down in a pleasant harmonious contented kind of way.  It feels healthier, we are more physically active, less consumer driven and more content to be at home participating in intrinsically rewarding activities, my children play with everyday items; buckets, spades, kitchen utensils; they climb in trees, dig in mud, explore in the sand using the environment around them as their playground.  They can use their outdoor voices without a feeling on my part of being looked at, they can run and not crash into people…they have access to free space…I just love summer!!!  We eat differently; more fruit and fresh food, less comfort food (comfort normally means unhealthy for me).  Messy play is so much easier if you can set this up outside too, my children painted and painted themselves, I was able to relax, interact and enjoy instead of being stressed about the destination of the paint beyond the paper. We pegged up our masterpieces up on the washing line to dry!!! 

The real challenge for me is to harness this change in pace and the healthier, more contented environment and transfer it to those days when you are forced to be inside all day.  I know it is stacked against me as I am a clean house freak and we are family whose personalities are best suited to large open spaces!  The other challenge comes in the form of technology and the impact this has on everyones level of physical activity and the use of imagination and creativity.  Nothing of virtual technology can beat climbing trees, cloud watching and running your hands through the sand…can it?!

Share this:

Romper

Hello…I have an ongoing fashion issue

…whether it is because I live in hope of the sunshine returning combined with my internal desire to keep my children dressed their age and as children not dressed as mini- men but I love this style of romper…maybe with a few less frills that I found on www.sistersguild.co.uk 

It is unfortunately sold out and as I normally find is not made large enough…I am not trying to put my 4 year old in one but my 2 year old son. I believe it is designed with totally age appropriate; funky, childrens fabric (no need for stereotypical rockets, dinosaurs, diggers, cars) combined with gender free styling.  A refreshing change for me however sure it would gain a few stares in the park….not that he will remember!!

 

If anyone knows of cute gender free rompers for 2-3 years out please point me in the right direction, otherwise I may be left to attempt one on my sewing machine…now THAT would leave the poor boy traumatised!!!