It's Mental Health Week in Canada this week, where communities, schools and workplaces make an extra effort to promote mental health and normalise discussion around it. One of the most interesting things that was shared this week was a blog and website by a lady in the UK who is a Mental Health First Aid instructor, Imogen Wall. In March 2020 Imogen wrote an awesome blog post discussing the science behind why we're all "feeling a bit wobbly", and shared some really helpful advice on how to cope with the anxiety. A year on, this article is just as relevant, as the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in the UK just released data suggesting the number of people experiencing depression in January nearly doubled what it was pre-pandemic, and that "Women and younger adults were more likely to feel depressed during the second UK coronavirus peak than men and other age groups". Imogen's blog is a really good read and very accessible; her advice is something we can continue to use beyond Covid times:
BREATHE
CALL A FRIEND
LAUGH
DO SOMETHING WITH YOUR HANDS
TREAT YOUR BODY
SUNSHINE
STEP AWAY FROM SOCIAL MEDIA/THE NEWS
STEP AWAY FROM TERRIBLE COPING MECHANISMS
BE KIND
Imogen is a former frontline disaster responder with the UN with experience in epidemics including COVID-19, and a Mental Health First Aid instructor. The Stress Bucket Exercise and weekly checklist are all found on her website.