This Thursday 10th October, World Mental Health Day, let’s check in with friends, family, peers and colleagues to show everyone that mental health matters. We all have ups and downs and talking about our mental health can help us to cope with life’s challenges. To mark Mental Health Awareness month at our school, Bishops is flying a Mental Health Awareness flag for the month of October.
This year’s global theme is “workplace mental health”. The theme highlights the importance of addressing mental health and wellbeing in the workplace, for the benefit of people, organisations and communities.
As the Mental Health Foundation, a UK charity which promotes mental health for everyone points out: “Work can have a huge impact on our mental health. It can be good for our mental health, giving us a sense of purpose, boosting our self-worth, and providing opportunities to connect with others. But it can also be a source of stress and anxiety and contribute to developing or worsening mental health problems.”
School too can be a great source of support and wellbeing but also contribute to adolescents experiencing anxiety, depression and other mental health problems. A recent study by the UCT Centre for Public Mental Health found that while 10 to 20% of adolescents worldwide are significantly impacted by mental health conditions, adolescents aged 10 to 14 at schools in the Western Cape reported higher levels of distress. Mirriam Mkhize, one of the researchers, said the study found that 33% of young adolescents reported experiencing symptoms of depression, while 21% reported symptoms of anxiety. While these symptoms do not necessarily indicate a formal diagnosis, Mkhize said the prevalence of such symptoms was concerning.
There are many practical things that people can do to increase their mental health, from following a balanced lifestyle to talking to professionals such as the psychologists at the Bishops Support Unit. The Mental Health Foundation advises that for all of us “protecting our mental health is easier than you might think”. Best practice tips for good mental health from their research include:
- getting closer to nature
- learning to understand and manage your feelings,
- talking to those we trust for support,
- being cautious about using drugs and/or alcohol to cope with difficult feelings,
- making the most of our money and getting help with money problems,
- sleeping properly,
- keeping active and exercising regularly,
- being kind and helping others,
- eating healthy foods; and
- being curious and open-minded to new experiences.
Their publication “Our Best Mental Health Tips Backed by research” (2024) can be downloaded here.
