Team Jayva’s wellbeing tips on World Mental Health Day
On World Mental Health Day, we’re sharing tips from Jayva’s employees on how to introduce seemingly small changes to your daily routine that actually make a big difference to how you feel by being equipped to deal with stress, calm any anxiety, boost your mood, sleep better, feel more in control and generally be kind to your mind.
Why? According to Mind, the mental health charity, 1 in 4 people in England experience mental health problems every year. With a population of around 68 million, this equates to 17 million people. And, that’s just in the UK. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England quotes 792 million people globally affected by mental health issues.
Now it’s time to hand over the floor to our team members…
Nicola Moore-Miller
If you cannot change it, there’s little point worrying about it. Also, I balance my anxiety and stress with quality family time. My work schedule means I have fewer hours with my children and family than most mums, but now I realise that the quality of time we have is the important thing, not the quantity. We do some amazing things together and make fabulous memories. For me, that time is so precious. By focusing on life experiences, rather than ‘material stuff’ has created a hugely positive change too.
Will Penrice
My ethos is don’t worry about things you can’t change and live every day as if it might be your last (or your first!). Personally, I love the Japanese poet Mitsuo Aida, who wrote: On rainy days, be in the rain; On windy days, be in the wind.
雨の日には
雨の中を
風の日には
風の中を
Izabelle Bunting
Drink caffeine-free tea. It helps me with my anxiety. Nettle tea is my current favourite! Strike a good work-life balance. Realising that being ‘successful’ is a good work-life balance (rather than ‘getting to the top’) was life-changing to my wellbeing. Learn to listen with empathy rather than sympathy. Understanding the difference between the two has enabled me to better listen to people’s issues while allowing them to open up more. To clarify, sympathy involves understanding from your own perspective while empathy involves putting yourself in the other person's shoes and understanding WHY they may have these particular feelings. In becoming aware of the root cause of why a person feels the way they do, you can better understand and provide healthier options. As a comparison of responses, ‘it sounds really tough for you; I’m here for you’ is preferable to ‘oh yeah, that happened to me too’.
Robert Bailey
I’ve always liked the phrase ‘if nothing changes, nothing changes’. I think this concept applies to life and wellbeing in many way, be it big problems, little problems, office politics etc. Ultimately, you just need to take baby steps (or big steps) if you want to improve things personally, professionally, physically or emotionally.
Susan Rodgers
Get out in nature whenever you’re feeling overwhelmed. Be as kind to yourself as you would be to other people. Help others even if you feel you can’t help yourself. Join in with your local community such as a choir group or volunteering activity.
Chris Nelson
I have a few nuggets of advice. Just because you have a bad day doesn’t mean you have a bad life. God doesn’t throw anything at you that you can’t handle, and while you might not understand it now, that doesn’t mean it won’t make sense in the future. You’re stronger than you think you are. So, don’t let your mind trick you out of moving forward. Goals you set are goals you get and obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off your goals.
To finish with a quote by Lao Tzu: If you’re depressed, you’re living in the past. If you’re anxious, you’re living in the future. If you’re at peace, you’re living in the present.
We hope you’ve found these wellbeing hints useful. If you’ve picked up even just one strategy to apply as good practice today, we’ve achieved our goal.
If you, or someone close to you, is suffering with poor mental health currently, there are a wealth of resources and organisations to help you through this difficult period. Here we’re signposting you to a few: