This is a version of the How to look after your mental health without spending a fortune which appeared in The Guardian 09/04/23
How to look after your mental health, on a budget
Post-pandemic and during the current cost of living crisis, mental health is at an all-time low. Accessing support may be difficult, with huge waiting times, and paying for support is out of reach for many people.
In the UK, over 8 million people are experiencing an anxiety disorder at any one time. The Health and Safety Executive estimates that 822,000 workers with a work-related illness reported stress, depression or anxiety.
Dr Zoe Watson is a GP who runs Wellgood Wellbeing, a social enterprise health platform. She believes good mental wellbring comes down to 3 basic elements: looking after and connecting to your body, connection to other humans and connection to the world around you/nature.
Take some gentle exercise
Exercise will make you feel more tired at the end of the day, so that you sleep better. It releases endorphins, which gives you more energy, and cortisol to help manage stress.
Rosaria Barreto is founder of Vitality Hub for older people with health conditions. She says “Stimulating your eyes and brain whilst surrounding yourself with nature’s beauty immediately boosts your mood. Breathing in fresh air can also boost your mood, reduce anxiety and worry. The social element to walking has significant impact on loneliness and can encourage and promote stronger feelings of self-purpose and self-value.”
Check your council or search Wellness Walks and Every Step Counts Gentle Walking for groups to join near you.
Take exercise a little further
If you are a little more adventurous, Dr Watson suggests wild swimming. She says “It’s bonkers, life affirming, joyous and freeing. It shocks you into being aware of your body and you meet other people who are similarly bonkers along the way. The best bit – it’s no longer only a playground for steely-abbed triathletes or hardcore cold-water swimmers. Many are middle-aged, wobbly-thighed, potty-mouthed women like me!”
Look at Bluetits for swimming near you.
Do something new and out of your comfort zone
Nicki Bass, a resilience and leadership coach, runs Resilience at Work. She says “Resilience is the ability to come back from and grow as a result of challenge and adversity. It’s about managing difficult experiences, learning from them and ultimately being able to thrive.” She undertakes every day adventures, as simple as standing barefoot in a stream or taking a new dog walking route. “The cumulative effect can be as powerful in building resilience and confidence as the bigger ’life changing ones’ !”
Check out simple and free NHS guides
There are numerous free resources on the NHS website. These include calming breathing exercises, guides for helping with sleep and various activities.
Learn new skills
Learning new skills could be a hobby or make you money by turning it into a side hustle or job. For example, take a free month’s trial of Skillshare and choose from thousands of hands-on online courses. This will help boost your self-confidence and sense of purpose whilst connecting with other people.
Volunteer
Dr Watson says “Sometimes the best thing to do when we’re struggling, is actually to look outwards instead of inwards. It can re-set our brains, help us realise all the things we have to be grateful for…” Volunteering has numerous benefits for health and wellbeing. Creating and sustaining social bonds is essential in tackling loneliness and depression.
Explore options which you would enjoy and can contribute to with skills and/or time. If you have children, see if their school would like volunteers for reading or join the PTA.
Visit your local volunteer centre or Do-it.org which is a database of UK volunteering opportunities. You can search over a million volunteering opportunities by interest, activity or location, then apply online.
Sing and dance like no-one is listening or watching!
Paying attention to the moment and being more aware of your body and thoughts is often referred to as mindfulness. Singing and dancing allows you to turn off your stream of consciousness and live in the moment. Sing and dance along to the radio, when cooking or cleaning. Sing in the car or shower or join a group.
Keep talking
Psychologist Dr Tara Quinn-Cirillo says “There is a huge evidence base for the psychological benefits of talking, including reduced stress, elevated mood, reduced anxiety and more effective problem solving.” She and Shirley Blanch founded The Conversation Starter Project, running free sessions where participants benefit psychologically from talking and walking with others. Similar ways to connect with others can be found via your local council wellbeing hubs.
Write a journal
Journals take many forms, from simply writing thoughts down in a diary, to a more structured approach, picking apart a particular challenge you’re facing. You can do it on your phone, PC or in a book.
Similarly, try “gratitude journaling”, starting the day with feeling grateful. Alex Birtles, who has managed depression for 20+ years, changed her daily gratitude practice and found it helped hugely. She finds positive impact in anything from smiling to a stranger to working in a community garden. “I find focussing on doing something good for someone else gets me out of my head”, she says.
Ranting also has a place! Dr Watson suggests “Let it out” journaling, to explore difficult emotions, rather than pushing them down and being grateful for ordinary things, even the negative ones. Those feelings need to be acknowledged and accepted, too. See my ranty reels on Instagram as examples of release!
Take some “me time”
Finding “me time” may feel easier said than done. Clare Flaxen is a psychotherapist and advises making a conscious choice to laugh every day, staying playful and curious. “Spend time with people who support and inspire you. Identify the things in your life that make you feel happy and content, e.g. a nice cuppa and biscuit with a friend… and actively choose to bring them into your days.”
Do something you enjoy at any time, even whilst doing the chores. Sarah Birchall says “Eating dark chocolate daily brings me happiness, and listening to comedy podcasts, too.”
Wellbeing is an individual phenomenon, so what works for one won’t for someone else. Try to find what you enjoy and helps you to feel well.
