5 tips from a psychologist to redeem your mental health

From planning ahead to giving back to others, here are seven top tips from a professional to help you take care of yourself.

When I work with clients in therapy sessions, I explain to them that threatened brains are real energy drains – and that constant levels of threat aren’t sustainable. So, what can we do to help ourselves have the best chance of coming through a difficult period as emotionally unscathed as possible? Here are some approaches that I find helpful.

1. Give yourself a break

Take the pressure off yourself by planning your workload as much much as possible. This will streamline your workflow and remove many of the crunch moments that can prove so stressful. Automating your admin can also help with taking a load off your mind and allow you to focus on the essentials.

2. Rest properly

Do yourself a favour and try to go to bed in good time at least a few times a week, this way you can fall asleep and still achieve a full eight hours before your alarm goes off in the morning. If you’re working at home, don’t be tempted to break the routine just because you can sleep in later.

3. Plan things to look forward to

If we can get into the habit of planning things in advance that we know will help us to feel cared for, it can boost your morale. It might be that you plan to cook a particular favourite meal, or schedule in a chat with a friend in advance. It could even be as simple as doing a task at work that you particularly enjoy. Small, simple and achievable incentives to help us through this difficult time can make all the difference.

4. Give back

While you may struggle to find time in your busy schedule, helping others or spending time with people you care about goes a long way. It might be as simple as connecting with people on LinkedIn or Facebook who are striving to be in the job role that you’re in right now and offering them advice and guidance. It could be signing up for some voluntary work or just buying some extra bits for the food bank when you do your shopping. Research tells us that those who demonstrate kindness regularly to others actually have better self-esteem, improved mood and reduced stress levels.

5. Talk to a professional

If you are struggling with your mental health, do talk to a professional. There is no judgment or shame in doing this. I didn’t feel ashamed when I reached out to an accountant to help me get things ironed out, and I’m so pleased I did because she makes my life better. In the same vein, it’s okay for the help relationship to be reversed and for you to reach out for experienced mental health support and guidance if you need it.

Dr Marianne Trent is a clinical psychologist and author of The Grief Collective: Stories of Life, Loss & Learning to Heal.

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