Have you got five minutes to check in on your mental health?
FIVE minutes is all it takes to make sure you are not neglecting key areas of life that can impact your overall mental health, according to psychologist Sharon Varela.
When Sharon is not working in her Longreach or Mt Isa rooms she can often be found with local services at agricultural shows in the region, conducting five-minute wellbeing “check-in” with community members.
She said while most people were travelling OK, it could help identify “gaps” in key areas in their lives which, if neglected over time, could contribute to anxiety, depression or other health concerns.
It also helps to identify those people who are really struggling and may need some professional help to get back on track.
“Mental health is no different to talking care of physical health, and why wouldn’t you take care of your mind like your body?
“It is just a conversation and it doesn’t have to be a scary conversation.”
Sharon’s five-minute health check-ins cover three basic areas:
1 – SLEEP ROUTINES
“People are often surprised to speak to a psychologist and the first question I ask is how do you sleep? It is a good indicator of what exactly is going on,” Sharon said.
“Do you wake up rested? Do you sleep all night and not feel rested? If people sleep all night and wake up tired it may indicate sleep apnoea.
“If people are under financial stress or env,ironmental stress, from floods or drought, they can have trouble getting to sleep because their mind is so busy.”
Sharon said in these instances having a routine before bed is important, and this can be different for everybody.
“I have herbal tea for sleeping that helps when my mind is busy.
“Other people might have a routine of two or three steps they need to do. Some people need to turn off electronics.
“One of the worst things you can do is lie in bed with your mind ticking over because then your mind associates bed with thinking and you don’t want that. It is better to get up and do something calming for half an hour.”
To help calm the mind and relax the body, Sharon also recommends doing a five-minute yoga or stretching routine every night before going to bed and in the morning after getting up.
“Particularly people working on properties, I ask them if they do any stretching or strength training. Quite often they do a lot of physical work, so they can be more prone to injuries and to chronic pain. Just a few gentle stretches first thing morning and at night can help a lot.”
She said it is also a good idea to do strength training twice a week, which can also be done at home using routines off the internet if you are unable to see an exercise physiologist.
“Strength training has been linked to better metal health and wellbeing in older age and may even be a protective factor against dementia.
“One of the biggest fallacies is that we need less sleep as we get older. It is not actually true. As we get older our body finds it harder to produce melatonin, we still need the same amount of sleep.”
2 – CONNECTIONS
“Next I ask them how do they connect?
“Who do they have around them that they speak to on a daily basis that they love? Do they have supportive friendships and how often to they talk to their friends?
You don’t have to be in the same room to connect with someone and let off some steam.
“Even when you are really isolated you can have a virtual cup of coffee, where you are both online talking to each other or talking on the phone.
“A reset and a de-stress. The first thing we let go of when we are stressed is connecting to people who really matter to us.”
“I also ask them when they last had a big belly laugh over something silly, because that is another indicator.”
She said if someone told her they speak to a friend they really care about at least once a month, but aimed for more, that would usually indicate they were maintaining good connections.
“I think that in busy adult life that is realistic but if they said it had probably been six or 12 months I would be worried.”
“Maintaining healthy and supportive connections with others is linked to better mental health and wellbeing. “
3 – SELF COMPASSION
“This is the one that we all find the hardest to do. Next I check in with their self-compassion and kindness.
“When was the last time you did something for yourself? Do you have a hobby? If might be gardening or music or something else, but when was the last time you took five minutes for yourself?
And importantly, are you kind to yourself?
“How kind is the voice inside your head? How do you talk to yourself?
“If you get something wrong do you give yourself the same kindness you give a friend?
“If you don’t then it is probably time to check in.”
Sharon said if people identifed gaps that caused them distress or stress the first step was to talk it through with a friend or a loved one and put a plan in place.
“If you feel that that is too hard there are some good government websites. Head to Health[1] can help you find online self-help programs or apps that have been proven to work for many people.
“If your stress levels are high you might want to talk to a professional. For people who are rural and remote I always recommend they go to their GP first to rule out health issues or concerns”
“If there is a need to see someone about their mental health the GP can also link them in with the right services and professionals. For some people there might be financial stress so the right person might include seeing the financial counsellors.
“It may be that seeing a psychologist is not needed, although if that is what is needed than that is perfectly OK.”
“Psychologists see people with a range of difficulties, and it is not always for mental health concerns. We often help people when they find their life is out of balance or they need help with a major life decision. Sometimes it could be parenting or relationship difficulties, or grief and loss.