Minding Your Mood

Minding your mood or your mental wellbeing can allow you to enjoy activities you take part in, work productively, cope with normal stresses in life, and realise your own potential.

There are little things we can all do to help mind our mental wellbeing.

Ideally we should build these practices into our daily or weekly routines so they become regular habits just like brushing our teeth.

The last 18 months have been tough on all of us. We’ve had to adjust our lives like never before and this has been hard. But there are some simple things that we can do to help look after our own mental wellbeing and our family’s mental wellbeing.

• physical activity – getting outside and getting active is really beneficial for our physical and mental wellbeing. Being outside (weather permitting ) helps to lower stress, reduce anxiety, and improve self-esteem. Even a short walk can help. We have some tips on getting started here or contact your local sports partnership for advice and ideas
• connecting with loved ones – staying connected with family and friends is great to reduce stress and boost your mood – be it online or getting together. Having a laugh or sharing a problem and talking it out are really important ways of looking after your mental wellbeing
• switch off and do something you enjoy - this could be something simple such as watching a movie or TV show, carving out some time to read or spend time in the garden. Perhaps to call a friend or spend time on a hobby. Whatever it is, having something to look forward to is really great way to boost your wellbeing. Check out our tips for switching off below
• try and make sure you and your family get enough sleep. Sleep is really important for your mental health and wellbeing and especially during these unsettling times. Check out our tips on getting enough sleep below
• eating well –keep your meals as healthy as you can. Perhaps designate a day to do some batch cooking to ensure that you always have healthy nutritious meals to hand. You can see more great tips on eating well here
• keep learning – learning new things or developing new skills can really help build self confidence and improve self esteem, and depending on what you choose it can also help you get to know others with similar interests
• giving to others – helping others and participating in your community can be hugely beneficial to your own wellbeing, as well as those that you are helping. It can be something simple such as checking in with someone who may be vulnerable at this time, or volunteering in a more formal role

Sleep is really important for your mental health and wellbeing. Most people need between 5 to 9 hours sleep a night. The ideal amount is 8 hours, but everyone is different.

We all need to look at our sleep pattern and habits. If you’re regularly struggling to get a good night’s sleep, there are a number of things you can do to improve it.

• don’t have any drinks with caffeine in the afternoon
• don’t smoke or drink alcohol before bed
• go to bed and get up at the same time every day
• avoid looking at any laptops, phones and other screens for an hour before bed
• make sure your bedroom is completely dark

SpunOut have some great advice on sleep and looking after your mental health.

Switching off and giving some time to yourself to do the things you enjoy doing is so important to look after your mental wellbeing. Simple activities like being creative, learning something new, spending time in nature or practising relaxation, can help to restore and revive our spirits. Here are some ideas:

• turn off – too much time on social media and news sites can lead to increased anxiety and stress. Have a certain time everyday to check your social media and the latest news and stick to it
• taking time out to care for ourselves- life is busy and it is easy to get overwhelmed. Having some designated time to relax, or practising some breathing or relaxation techniques can help to keep us focused
• read a book or listen to a story – your local library has a huge range of books for you to read, or you can join online at libraries.ie and download e-books to read on your own device. They also have a huge variety of magazines that can be downloaded digitally through their Libby app.
• do something creative – there is a strong connection between being creative and improved mental wellbeing. Doing something creative can not only help you to develop new skills but can also improve your self-esteem and social connections. There are so many ways to be creative such as: cooking, baking, playing music, arts and crafts. Explore some options and find your passion

Learning new things or being creative can really help you to switch off and achieving something can also make you feel good. Learning or developing new skills can also help improve your self-esteem and give you more confidence.

Some ways to learn more or get creative are:

• Sign up for a class, whether its and art calls, writing calls or dance class
• Look for resources online like online courses or tutorials
• Ask someone you know to teach you something like a friend or family member

Libraries Ireland have lots of courses for you to choose from. Just sign up using your library card and you can access over 400 online courses for free

Creative Ireland is working with Local Authorities to offer localised creative initiatives in their areas. These initiatives may include:

• engaging with historical places and sites in their locality
• live, mobile, and pop up entertainment in various settings
• creative photography
• utilisation of spaces and places for arts

Contact your Local Authority for more information on what’s happening in your area.

The Design and Crafts Council Ireland YouTube channel has many step-by-step interactive workshops and short video tutorials in their Get Ireland Making Programme.

On this channel you can:

• draw or paint
• learn a new song
• do an online dance class
• try knitting and sewing
• cook or bake

Reading and writing stories is a great way to switch off. Immersing yourself in a story, or creating a story of your own can help you to relax and de-stress during these challenging times.

• read a book or listen to an eAudiobook - You can join the library online at LibrariesIreland.ie and download e-books to read on your own device
• if you’re thinking of writing some stories of your own there are many helpful tips and guides online to get you started. Libraries Ireland also have over 50 free online courses on creative writing

Being outdoors and spending quality time in nature can help to reduce anxiety, improve your mood and even increase your self-esteem.

• Waterways Ireland has developed lots of practical educational content for primary school children and families for activity at home or in nature.
• Visit Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands and discover a range of amazing places and activities to see and do.
• Incredible Edibles have a range of activities on their website, from resources to help children learn about different foods, to tips on gardening. They have recently launched their schools programme for 2022. You can register your school here
• Grow It Yourself has great tips and ideas for the budding gardening enthusiast. The website includes a useful month by month calendar giving ideas for what to sow/harvest/or prepare that month.
• Bord Bia have a wonderful gardening section on their website, with useful growing tips, information on the benefits of gardening, and lots more

Getting involved in your community is a great way to help improve your mental wellbeing. It can help you to connect with those around you and increase a sense of belonging. You may need to think whether you want to meet new people with similar interests, or just give something back to your community or society. Some of the following organisations can help you:

Volunteering can help improve your confidence through acquiring new skills and personal growth, all important for maintaining your wellbeing.

If you decide that you would like to get involved in volunteering but you are not sure exactly what you would like to do, then a good place to start is Volunteer Ireland

Find your local volunteering centre here.

A Men’s Shed is a place where men are able to gather and/or work on meaningful projects at their own pace, in their own time and in the company of other men and where the primary objective is to advance the health and well-being of the participating men.

Find your local shed here.

Now that many of us have started returning to the workplace, this can cause stress and anxiety as once again our routines are upended. Here are some simple tips to guide you through the transition.

• Stay connected - it is really important to keep in touch with both your colleagues and your manager. Feeling connected to your team will help with the transition back to the workplace.
• Create certainty for yourself – plan out your return as much as you can. Have everything you need ready to go and be aware of the restrictions within your workplace and how you will work around them. The more information you are armed with going in, the less room there is for anxiety. If you have queries or questions speak to your manager
• Keep up to date - Keep up-to-date with your organisation's plans for the return to the workplace, think about how this will work for you and your situation. Have a chat with your manager if there are any issues that arise
• One day at a time – Things are in a constant state of flux and keep changing, and we need to change with it. Take one day at a time and don’t beat yourself up if you’re finding things tough
• Check in - It is important to have regular check-ins with yourself to see how you are coping with the changes. What’s going well for you, and what could you change to help improve things
• Be kind - You never know what might be going on in someone else’s world. Everyone is finding things tough, so be kind, to others and yourself

During this time it is normal to feel stressed and anxious about what is going on around us. Taking some time to stop and acknowledge your feelings and the affect that they are having on your life, can help you cope.

• sometimes accepting that what's happening is not only tough, but also outside of your control can help ease the pressure and allow you to see more clearly
• take notice and be aware – take some time everyday to check in with how you’re feeling. Pay attention to the present moment. Take notice of your thoughts, feelings, sensations, and the world around you. Being able to recognise and name how you feel can help you to deal with it. You can find some great tips here.
• give yourself some credit – sometimes we are our own worst critics. Taking a moment to stop and think of what we have done to get through the past eighteen months can help us see that we are probably doing better than we think we are
• write it down – sometimes writing things down can really help. It can be a good way of getting our anxious thoughts out. Writing a gratitude journal can also help us to see the positive things in our lives which can help us to get through these tougher times
• take a break from the news - We are bombarded with information through TV, radio and social media, and this can be really overwhelming. While it is important to keep up to date with the latest messages, it is also important to step away and take a breather. Schedule a time every day to check your social media and the latest news and stick to it
• a problem shared is not necessarily a problem halved, but it does help. Friends and families can be a good source of support and talking to someone can really help you to realise you’re not alone. Sometimes a different perspective can make things seem much better and easier to cope with
• remember - if you feel you need additional help, there are supports available. You don't have to appear to be strong or to try to cope with things by yourself. There are a number of service providers that offer online and phone mental health supports and services. These include online counselling, phone and text services as well as online supports which can be found on Your mental health

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