World Mental Health Day takes place on 10 October every year.
But of course, mental wellbeing is of vital importance every single day. We asked Team doddl to give a little insight in to what works to help them look after their own mental wellbeing.
Team doddl’s mental wellbeing tick list
Cat
Running a business and being the primary carer for 3 kids is stressful. I always feel the pressure because I’m against the clock. I often feel overwhelmed about the amount of work I have to get through each day. The key for me and my mental wellbeing is writing a list….as long as I have a list, I can empty some of the swirling around in my brain and start to focus and deal with things in a more manageable, bite-sized way. I also find that taking 20 minutes out in the middle of the working day for a quick bit of fresh air and exercise definitely helps recharge and clear some brain fog.
Laura
Getting outside, looking at the sky and thinking about how big the world is generally helps when there’s too much noise in my brain. It helps remind me the moment will pass, that this will be a memory, and helps put things into perspective. My son’s school once did a few lessons on mindfulness – the teacher described it as ‘really looking at an orange and noticing the colour, the dents in the peel’. I did an internal eye roll, but that is essentially now what I do. Stop, look at the sky, breathe. Notice the clouds, listen to the birds – even for a couple of minutes. Pilates is also good for a clean mind and a feeling of mental wellbeing. I’m useless at it, I am the least stretchy person you could meet, but I do genuinely feel all the better for it. Although I am a once-a-week kind of girl rather than an everyday, but I figure every little helps!
Cathy
Being outside in the fresh air and countryside is essential to my mental wellbeing. Regardless of the weather, I love big skies and being active, whether that's running, cycling, hiking. I find nature is amazing and restorative, and even half an hour outdoors in any weather never fails to make me feel better.
Tim
Time For Me – Tim Time! One of the most successful ways I have found to keep on track and be able to refocus is to try and find an amount of uninterrupted time for myself – the amount of time needed varies dependent on what’s happening. Over the years my professional roles have meant a lot of time in the car. So I found it really helpful at the start and the end of the day to turn the phone off, just think about what was happening and how it was making me feel. It enabled me to think about what I was going to do next. More recently I have found time for it cycling or walking – it really doesn’t matter where you are just take the time. You can’t have an impact on what has happened but you can change how you feel or think about it and the shape of what you are about to do
Tim’s a little bit extra…
Something Different – No Expectations Of Me! About seven years ago I decided that I needed something else to distract me from the day to day. My wife had joined a choir and they wanted to get a male choir going so I gave it a go. I couldn’t sing at all but as it was a community choir all were welcome. I found myself with a group of 12 men, all very different in terms of background, age, ability to sing and reasons for being there. It's fantastic fun and for that couple of hours a week my mind is clear of everything other than the noise I should be trying to make. I really saw a positive impact on my mental wellbeing. When a session is over I really do feel refreshed and look forward to the next rehearsal. Happy days! (still can’t sing)
Amanda
When my son was younger I looked after my mental wellbeing by simply getting outside with him and my dog or tucking myself up in a blanket with a good book. Now he is older and I have a little more time, I still enjoy the outdoors going running or doing yoga. Although I am quite a fair-weather runner so a blanket and a good book are still very high on my mental wellbeing tick list.
Click here if you’re looking for some practical help and advice around mental wellbeing. Or visit The Mental Health Foundation, where there are lots of helpful resources. And if you want to find out more about how doddl can help take some of the stress out of mealtimes with your baby or toddler, visit our shop.