10 Tips for Keeping your Mind Healthy

Being ‘Mentally Healthy’ is so important in not only your decision making processes, but to ensure that wherever you are, ‘you’re all there’. Whether it'd be in a work conference, with a client, on a job site or with family and friends. Below are 10 helpful tips to increase your mental health and well-being.

Sure, you’re saying right now that you don’t have enough hours in a day. Remember that everyone has the same 24 hours in a day and it’s up to you what you choose to do with them.

Even if you focus on one every six months, that's better than nothing at all. 

1. Enjoyment: We all have that one thing that we really enjoy doing. DO IT! It might be DIY craft activities, going for a run with the dog, watching the new episodes of Game of Thrones or spending time playing with your children.
   
   
2. Share your interests: If there are any clubs around the block that share in your interests, join them! It might be a dance, book or car club and instead of trying to talk about it with your non-interested family, share it with someone who actually cares. The conversation you hold will be amazing.
   
   
3. Get involved in your community: Perhaps you love life saving, animals, gardening or knitting – volunteer your time to an organisation that’s involved with this. An effort to improve the lives of others is sure to improve yours too.
   
   
4. Surround yourself with positive people: Find people who will support and enrich your life and maintain relationships with them. This can bring you great rewards and support when you need it. Surrounding yourself with happy, positive people will only lift your mood.
   
   
5. Look after yourself: You need to take care of you before you can take care of anyone else. Those weight loss or improved fitness goals you had in mind – start them today (or tomorrow if you want to finish that chocolate bar you have waiting in your drawer). Physical and mental health are closely linked. Believe us, you will feel so much better for it.
   
   Give yourself a challenge: On countless occasions, you’ve likely said to yourself “I wish I knew how to__________now’s your time! Whether It's a language, photography, a new instrument or sewing (the list can go on). Do it, jump on YouTube with the popcorn and dive into the beginners tutorials. Learning improves your mental fitness and striving to meet your own goals will give you a sense of achievement. We all know that feeling is great. If you'd like to set a fitness challenge, start training for the Connolly Suthers Taste of Adventurethon on Magnetic Island and Pallarenda in 2017! 
   
   
6. The S word: STRESS, is a part of our lives and affects people in many different ways. Be aware of what triggers your stress, how you react and learn how to manage it. Taking in big deep breaths is always a go to method to instantly calm oneself. Pilates or yoga classes can be very beneficial to your mind, helping you to wind down at the end of the day.
   
   
   
   
7. Sleep: Having around eight hours of sleep per night is so important for your brain's functionality (if you have babies/toddlers we understand this is like finding a needle in a haystack). Try your best as it restores both your mind and body. Think of it like your computer, if you don’t turn it off for a long period of time, it starts to slow and make mistakes. You’re no different.  
   
   
8. Be in the moment:
   “Hi it’s Mia, sorry I can’t answer your question right now, my brain is not functioning. Please leave your name and question and I’ll get back to you as soon as I’m back in the room and focused (if I remember).”
   
   Have you ever had this feeling when you were talking to someone? You’re not alone! Our lives are so busy and we have so many things on our mind that we forget to be in the moment of what we’re actually doing.
   
   Take a moment out of each day, to simply be in the moment. It’s so easy to get caught up in the chaos of life and not actually appreciate the little things. Making a conscious effort to be aware of your inner and outer world is really important for your mental health.
   
   
9. Ask for help: You’re not a superhero that can split into two people at the same time. A worry-free life does not exist and like you, everyone has their obstacles that need to be overcome. If you need help, just ask for it and most people are happy to provide it. Don’t give up on finding it!

As lawyers, we try our absolute best to help reduce your stress and worrying over some of life’s tricky situations. We are just like you, we have families, mortgages, a house to run and of course a job. We know all too well that sometimes when you’re juggling your work life and home life, one ball is bound to drop sometimes. We’re here to help you pick it up again.