Wellbeing & Wellness
How Are You Today? Really…
Mental Health Awareness Week is held annually from the 10th to the 16th of May.
Mental Health Awareness indicates that there is an issue that needs to be addressed. Our mental health – thankfully, one of the topics we’re not afraid to discuss anymore – influences how we make decisions, deal with problems, and interact with others. It is best described as our overall social, psychological, and emotional well-being.
Many people have recently struggled with their mental health as a result of the economy, personal issues, and even work! Factors such as family history (genetic factors) and life experiences (abuse/traumas) can have a significant impact on mood, behavioural, and thinking patterns over time.
Feeling helpless, hopeless, or numb, withdrawing from loved ones or activities you used to enjoy, sleeping too much or too little, eating too much or too little, experiencing severe mood swings, feeling on the edge, angry or worried, considering harming yourself or others may be signs of mental health problems. The list is not exhaustive but even if these indicators are not set in stone, they are red flags to address by seeking help from a therapist which still remains the best way to deal.
The awareness theme for 2021 is ‘Nature.’
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. — Albert Einstein
The year 2020 was a ‘different’ one. The COVID-19 pandemic altered people’s relationships, attitudes toward things, work, and so on. Working from home (WFH) became one of the most difficult things for some people to deal with. Everyone had to stay put wherever they were in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Everything came to a halt, bringing with it anxiety and panic.
It saw a shift from daily work commutes to working from home offices and, in some cases, your dining chair. People had to readjust to different ways of doing things as seemingly simple as shopping for groceries, social distancing, people not stepping out of their houses, feeling stuck, the pressure to deliver on work while trying to stay alive, and so on received a lot of traction in the press. This undoubtedly had an impact on many people’s mental health.
Many people’s lives were altered, and anxiety set in. It was a whirlwind that could elicit a reaction from anyone. Numerous mental health effects of the pandemic have been documented. The breaking point had to be waking up from a bad dream and the determination to remain sane. There has to be a way for some to keep going while dealing with the pandemic.
People went to therapists, openly shared their stories, and nature became an important part of the healing process. For some, it was as simple as working barefoot, going for a walk in the garden, taking photographs of nature, and so on. There had to be healing, and it came from within.
Toks Adebiyi, our founder who currently works from home, goes for a walk every morning before he starts his day; he says it’s a great way for him to breathe/exhale before getting to work; “Matt (Clooper’s co-founder) and another friend advised me to take a walk each morning before I start my day and I took that advice and it totally transformed my work life. I feel very energized in the morning. There’s just something about nature, going for a walk, the fresh air that gets me going in the morning and I find it very healthy for my mental health.”
Yemi Agbetunsin, Senior Developer at Clooper shares how working out helps him; “I hit the gym for at least one hour every morning to help me start my day right. I realize I’m able to focus on tasks and get a lot done in the course of my day. The quality of my sleep also improves a lot, and I manage stress better“.
Nature has been touted as the best way to recharge and let it all go. It’s in taking deep breaths, walking in the garden, taking a lazy walk on the beach, taking in the scenery, swimming, spending quality time doing nothing, that it is acceptable to have an ‘unproductive day’ paying attention to your mental health. You’d be better for it.
There’s no better time than now to wake up and smell the roses.
Keep going, it gets better. We promise.
Get started with everything you need for good mental health here.
