MENTAL WELLBEING

Many people experience mental health difficulties, such as depression, anxiety or stress, which impact on their mental health.

Mental health difficulties are very common: 20% of Australians will experience a mental health condition each year. We often hear about mental health in media stories about mental illness. Although, mental health isn’t only about mental illness; it’s also about your overall wellbeing.

Learning to be aware of your mental health may help you identify what helps you feel mentally well, times when you are not well, and when you might need to seek further help. Signs it’s time to seek professional help include: you’ve been feeling sad, down, angry, depressed, numb or generally ‘not yourself’ all the time for two weeks or more or the way you’re feeling is affecting your ability to cope at work, school and in your relationships.

You can start by talking to your GP, request to see a psychologist, speak to a trusted friend or family member who is a good listener, call a helpline like Beyond Blue or LifeLine. Otherwise, if it’s an emergency and you think your life or someone else’s life is in danger, always call Triple Zero (000).

Make contact today, don’t keep putting it off.

 

When it comes to settling New Year’s resolutions, many of us hope that we’ll be feeling healthier and happier than the year before. We make fitness goals and promises to eat better, plan to work smarter and spend more time with family or friends.

A new year can also be a good time to think about making your mental health priority. Just like your physical health, everyone ‘has’ mental health, not just people who have been diagnosed with a mental illness or condition. Your mental health is your psychological and emotional wellbeing.

The World Health Organisation defines mental health as “a state of well-being in which every individual realises their own potential. Ability to cope with the normal stresses of life. Ability to work productively and fruitfully, and as an individual able to make a contribution to their community”.  

Being mentally well doesn’t mean you don’t experience ‘negative’ emotions or reactions, like sadness, anger, grief or frustration. Similarly, being mentally unwell doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t experience emotions like happiness or excitement, go to school or work, or have relationships. Having mental well being means being able to experience the ups and downs of life and cope with them in a psychologically and emotionally healthy way.