Good mental health is defined as the state of someone who is “functioning at a satisfactory level psychologically”. This is an official definition which means a lot of people would find it hard to connect with so I’ve written a more accessible definition below.
Just like our physical health is about how healthy our body is our mental health is how healthy our mind is.
The most important thing to remember is that mental health is equally as important as our physical health!
Lockdown is a very unique situation that we are in, we are away from extended family and friends, we don’t have our usual routine, we are less active, spending more time on social media etc. So, it is very normal for our mental health to be affected during this time.
So, how do we know when we are struggling? Here are some things to look out for:
- Your appetite may change – you may eat more or less
- Your energy levels may change – you may feel more restless or more tired
- You might withdraw from talking to family or friends
- You might stop doing things that you enjoy
- You may feel tearful or emotional for no apparent reason
- Your sleep might be disrupted or you may sleep more than normal
- You might feel overwhelmed
When we notice that we are starting to struggle it is important to remember and be reassured that there are lots of ways that we can look after ourselves and lots of ways that we can seek help and support.
There are lots of things that we can do and I will be making a range of different blog posts about ‘how to’ do a variety of things that will help maintain good mental health and wellbeing during lockdown, for example; how to change your diet to help your mental health, how to keep a routine during lockdown or how to practice mindfulness.
There are lots of things that we can do and I will be making a range of different blog posts about ‘how to’ do a variety of things that will help maintain good mental health and wellbeing during lockdown, for example; how to change your diet to help your mental health, how to keep a routine during lockdown or how to practice mindfulness.
I’d also like to mention that if you notice yourself feeling or experiencing any of the things I have listed above you can access this link youngminds.org.uk to access YoungMinds where you can get advice and help with lots of things to do with your mental health and wellbeing. This link childline.org.uk to ChildLine offers a range of support too, such as speaking to a counsellor online or reading forums with other young people’s concerns. It is also important to remember that speaking to family and friends about how you’re feeling is an easy way to get ongoing support.
Thanks for reading and I’ll see you at the end of the week for my next blog post which will be called ‘How to be compassionate with ourselves in lockdown’
My name is Erna, I am 20 years old and I’m an intern for the EmpowHER project at the British Red Cross. I am doing this internship alongside studying for my psychology degree at university. I have enjoyed working with the team on helping to empower young women and girls to take on social action projects and look forward to working with groups in the future. In my spare time I like to draw, go cycling and take my puppy for long walks. I hope you’ll enjoy the series of blog posts that I’ll be doing on taking care of our mental health in lockdown.
British Red Cross EmpowHER 