666 : What Is Normal Anyway?

For my final 666 of Mental Health Awareness Week I’ve tried to pull together some of the strands that I have dealt with over the last five days. It is fantastic having a high profile Mental Health Awareness Week, but like a dog being for life and not just for Christmas, we should actually be aware of our and other’s mental health all the time and not just a few days in May. Mental health is still seen largely as someone else’s problem and that is because we subconsciously still stick the word illness after those two words. In the same way that we all have physical health (whether we are physically ill or not), we all have mental health as we all have a mind. Just like our physical health, our mental health will go up and down. There will be good days and bad days, but that does not necessarily mean that you are ill. There is still a stigma about saying that your head does not feel in the right place or that you are feeling down or that you are feeling anxious. The truth is none of that means you necessarily have a mental illness. As I explained on Monday, they are natural emotions and they will occur as our levels of mental wellbeing organically fluctuate, in the exact way that our physical health does.

Don’t feel bad about feeling bad, it is part of life. On Wednesday I explained that there are plenty of things you can do to bolster and improve your mental wellbeing. Mental Health is not a passive state on which we have no control. We can alter our state of mental wellbeing, but also we shouldn’t feel bad when we don’t feel able to. We accept that there are days that we feel inclined to go to the Gym, go on the 50km bike ride or eat tons of super foods and that there are also days where all we want to do is slouch on the sofa in our PJ’s and eat crap. Same is true of mental health. As I keep saying thinking positive is a great discipline, but none of us can maintain it all the time. There will be days where positivity seems unobtainable which isn’t a problem or an issue. It is just life.

We also can alter other people’s state of mental wellbeing for both good and bad. Our actions have reactions. As I mentioned yesterday malignant negativity causes harm, whether you mean it or not. Self-esteem is incredibly subjective. The most outwardly self-assured person is more than likely to internally be a maelstrom of doubts and insecurities. Don’t assume jibes and caustic comments don’t hurt, because believe me they do. However positive actions and moments of “kindness” can also leave a massive impression. Even the smallest act of consideration in itself can have a mammoth impact. Being kind can take a second and cost nothing, but it can make a huge difference to another person’s life and how they are feeling at that precise moment.

Kindness is at the heart of Mental Health Awareness week. By showing a bit kindness to each other, we can ensure that we all get through this bizarre time. It might mean volunteering and giving your time and energy. It might mean being charitable and donating but also might mean just reaching out to someone. A quick text to someone you haven’t spoken to for a while, a positive “your bloody brill” messenger shout out to someone you know is currently struggling, a Spotify playlist (it’s the 21st century mixtape) compiled for someone you know is missing you. These are all acts of kindness and they are all good for mental health, both ours and other’s. Nobody should be afraid or reluctant to talk out about how they are feeling and you can give them the opportunity to do so. You don’t need qualifications, badges or special training to be there for someone. Just Kindness.