Mental Health Awareness Week 9-15th May 2022
The topic of this years Mental Health Awareness week is ‘loneliness’.
Every day we will ask someone how they are or be asked in return, “how are you”, “hows it going” or “howzit” if you’re from Southern Africa, and each time our reflex response is ‘fine’, ‘good thanks’, ‘not bad’, ‘ok’. Other responses are available.
What we by and large don’t do is to either genuinely enquire on others wellbeing for fear of a genuine response or respond with a truthful answer for fear of a look of perhaps horror or worse, indifference.
So what do we risk by being interested in others states of health. Is it that we are not qualified to respond, or that we have our own problems so we cant start taking anybody elses on board right now?
So my question to you right now is How are you? Really, how are you? Before you stop reading or dismiss this, ask yourself how you are at this very moment? what responses do you get?
Are you ok, or perhaps not so ok.
Currently we are all under daily bombardment of information from all around the world and from all immediate sources which is a massive assault on our senses and ultimately our wellbeing as most of it is out of our control and all we can do is witness the constant stream of images and information. We can do very little about it, however we still process it all and it leaves a shadow that can cloud our lives, create more uncertainty in an already uncertain life.
As a sports therapist and mindfulness teacher I see daily the effects of this uncertainty in patients, it manifests as pressure, both physically and mentally. I see it in the adolescents and adults I treat, an inability to be with the things that are out of their control and unaware of how to tap into what is in our control.
The first thing I do is go back to “How are you”? To teach how to understand how we really are, what it actually means to be human, what constitutes being human. If you are curious then we are all just three components:
Thoughts
Senses or sensations
Emotions
So right now by asking yourself how you are it is a chance to check on your immediate state of mind: busy or not busy, your body with all its sensations, and whatever feelings are present. If we can be ok with what is present and not need to change it then we can perhaps begin to change our relationship with our selves and can maybe move through the world in a more flexible and healthier way.
This is what we can learn by devoting as little as 3 minutes daily to watching our inner experiences, to settle with what is here and then get back to what we are doing. We have a chance to regain some control, choice and freedom in our lives.
With Mental Health Awareness week starting on the 9th May it is an ideal opportunity to begin to take charge and take care of yourself and ask How am I?
I am offering a plethora of meditations and exercises to explore the question How are you and to discover how to be a more flexible, healthier and more content human.
- Daily short meditations on a free subscription: Subscribe here
- Two 30 min live online meditation sessions: Mon 9th 7pm and Fri 13th 6pm: Subscribe here
- A 90 minute online Introduction to Mindfulness session Wed 18th May 7-830pm: Subscribe here
- Discounted 1-1 mindfulness based sessions for teens to adults: contact me for more information here
You also have access to over 40 meditation practices via my New mindfulness and meditation podcast now on Spotify, Apple and Amazon
There are some meditation and other relaxation videos on my YouTube channel
For more information on Mental Health Awareness week 2022
Simon Heale
Meditation and Mindfulness Coach
contact me for more information here