Mental Health Month

Get involved in Mental Health Month

TUNING IN MEANS BEING PRESENT

It means being aware of what is happening within you, and in the world around you.

Being present by tuning in has been shown to help build self-awareness, help make effective choices, reduce the impact of worry, and build positive connections.

You can tune in to many things:

  • Tune in to yourself – What can you sense right now? What can you feel?
  • Tune in to others – What might people around you be feeling? How can we connect?
  • Tune in to your communities – What is happening that you can be part of, or that you can help others be part of?
  • Tune in to stigma – How do attitudes and understandings of mental health and wellbeing impact on people’s ability to live the lives they want? How can we help?

Tuning In to yourself can start with checking in with yourself and asking a simple question: “what can I sense right now?” See, touch, taste, smell, and listen to the world around you and experience the way it makes you feel. You can also ask the question “how do I feel right now?” Identifying what you feel can improve awareness of your surroundings, help focus your mind and understand what is going on inside you.

Tuning in to yourself can also mean identifying things that help or harm your own mental health.

For example, exercise may help improve your mental health and engaging in conflict might negatively impact your mental health.

How can I tune in to myself?
  • Meditating
  • Finding silence
  • Going for a walk
  • Being in nature
  • Journaling
  • Practicing self-care
  • Doing something creative – drawing, painting, knitting
  • Creating a morning ritual

Tuning into others can build positive connections. Can you imagine what other people might be feeling and why? Does someone you love seem a bit down? Maybe you can head over and help them out with a chore or task, or just sit and have a casual chat.

Alternatively, if you’re having difficulty connecting with others, it can help to let them know that. Sharing with others that things are a bit tough right now could help them understand how you’re feeling.

How can I tune in to others?
  • Asking others how they are feeling
  • Sharing a hobby
  • Teaching them about something you love
  • Helping with chores
  • Playing games
  • Staying in together
  • Chatting on the phone
  • Sharing a cuppa

You can tune in to communities by considering groups and networks you are part of and the activities that take place within them. How can you make communities and activities more welcoming, open or easier to access for those experiencing difficulty with their mental health and wellbeing?

This might mean something specific, like hiring a bus to pick people up to go to community events, or more general, like thinking about community feelings after a natural disaster.

How can I tune in to communities?
  • Challenging negative ideas around mental health
  • Joining a local hobby group
  • Reviewing accessibility options
  • Reaching out to community members who might be isolated
  • Starting wellbeing activities at work
  • Attending free community events – libraries or councils often run them
  • Creating a range of different options for people looking to connect
  • Making sure your community/workplace/group takes part in Mental Health Month

You can tune in to stigma by considering the misconceptions, prejudice or barriers that you or others face regarding mental health and wellbeing. You can help increase understanding by making sure mental health and wellbeing are not taboo topics in your community, and letting others know if they are engaging in stigma-promoting behavior.

Here are some definitions of the language we use to speak about mental health and wellbeing. It helps us work together from a space of shared understanding and meaning.

Mental health

A state of wellbeing in which every individual realises their own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to contribute to their community.

Mental distress

A term used to describe a negative experience a person may be having, rather than a diagnostic term. It can present at any point of the wellness to illness spectrum.

Mental ill-health

A state where our mental health negatively impacts on our ability to think, feel and respond to others. This may occur in response to life events and stressors and may resolve over time or when stress is reduced. However, if it is ongoing or worsening, it can become a mental illness.

Mental illness

A clinically diagnosable illness that significantly interferes with an individual’s cognitive, emotional or social abilities. A diagnosis is generally made according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Mental illnesses are diverse, and each can occur with a varying degree of severity. The preferred term is “person/people with a lived experience of mental illness”. You might also refer to a specific diagnosis, for example “person with a lived experience of Bipolar disorder”, rather than “mentally ill person” or “Bipolar person”.

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