World Mental Health Day: Putting wellbeing first when the clocks go back

by Louise Sharp |

The nights are drawing in and October gets into full swing with the leaves of the trees starting to change to their autumnal bronze, orange and yellow tones and I am packing for my first flight in over 18 months. With a tinge of excitement, I’m heading off to the airport to join a team from Makara Health who are running a 3-day face-to-face client training session in Scotland. Digging out the suitcase and hunting for ‘work’ clothes, I find myself reflecting on how life has changed since the first lockdown. I used to travel every week and it was almost automatic. Packing then did not need the amount of thought or brain power that this suitcase is taking!

How we use our minds, the stories we tell ourselves, and the habits we form intrigues me, particularly in relation to our mental health and wellness. Yesterday was World Mental Health Day, and as someone who struggles during the winter months with lack of sunlight, the approaching darker months signal a time for me to step up the exercise, actively do more to stave away the low moods, and get out into nature.

So in the run up to the clocks changing, I choose to #behappy. I’m digging out my ‘Happy’ lamp of sunshine, for the hours I spend at my desk, and will re-prioritise things that make me feel good. It is important for us all to look after our well-being and support the well-being of others. I am happy to support #HelloYello raising money for Young Minds, a charity fighting for young people’s mental health, very much close to my heart.

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