I'm a Mental Health First Aider!

Mental health has been a hot topic over recent years.

The importance of talking about mental health is arguably the biggest area of stigma surrounding it.

Normalising the conversation is crucial for those experiencing mental health lows and highs. A part of that conversation comes in treating it like physical health which is widely spoken about.

And where physical health has first aid training and first aiders, mental health is starting to get the respect it deserves on its own accord.

Mental Health First Aiders (MHFA) are starting to become incorporated into businesses up and down the country.

This is the first step in the corporate world recognising the importance of mental health, especially since the COVID pandemic resorted people to blend their personal and work lives through working from home.

With this being said, I've been through the training and can now proudly say that I am a Mental Health First Aider.

What is a Mental Health First Aider?

Much like a physical first aider, a Mental Health First Aider is someone who understands the basics of mental wellbeing to support those who need their help.

The only difference is instead of being reactive to physical medical emergencies, a Mental Health First Aider is encouraged to start the conversation and normalise the conversation about mental health.

Why did I become a Mental Health First Aider?

Everyone has 'mental health'. Just like everyone has physical health.

I truly believe in looking after your physical health through exercise and good eating and all of the other things you've read.

And if I believe so strongly about physical health, I should certainly believe in looking after mental health as well.

I have had my experiences with mental health, which I'm not going to disclose here, but I can say that I understand the pain that low mental health can cause.

For me, I want to ensure that everyone is able to look after their mental health better. Consider me a personal trainer, but for your mental health instead.

Having a community of people whose mental health is well looked after, allows for greater communication, greater team-work and more collaborative thinking.

What does a MHFA do?

As mentioned above, a Mental Health First Aider is here to support those who are unaware on how to look after their own mental health.

We all experience times of stress or poor mental health and a lot of people don't know how to deal with it.

What a Mental Health First Aider does is talk, listen and empathise with those who need someone to talk to, but don't feel confident enough to go to their doctor or other professional help.

They are the first point of contact for someone who is looking for help (whether they start the conversation or not!).

A Mental Health First Aider is able to understand someone's issue, re-assure that the problem is manageable and point them in the right direction in terms of resource and professional help offering continous support moving forward.

Key Principles of Mental Health First Aid

The Mental Health Continuum

Understanding the Mental Health Continuum is a key principle of Mental Health First Aid.

It is a chart that enables core understanding of mental health and understanding it allows for a journey to be pictured of the highs and lows of mental health.

Find the continuum below:

The key is to be above the horizontal axis. It doesn't matter if you're diagnosed or undiagnosed but being above the line insinuates that you have good mental health.

If you find yourself below the line, then there are steps that you can take to get yourself above it! There is always hope trust me.

Stress Containers

A stress container is a great way to manage your stress levels.

It is an exercise that you can do everytime you find yourself getting overwhelmed.

I see it as a type of journalling that enables you to get yourself out of your thoughts.

How does it work I hear you ask?

Well all you need is a triangle. Draw an upside down triangle, and within that triangle, write down everything you are worried about.

Get it out of your head and onto paper and you will find your stress alleviating with every task that is written down.

Now to relieve all of the stress, you need your coping strategies; these are activities that help you unwind.

These could be anything; exercise, reading, knitting, listening to music, playing video games, cooking, whatever it is, there is no right answer.

As long as it can take your concentration fully, and stop you from worrying about your stresses, it is doing the job.

It is important that you know these coping strategies so that when you feel yourself getting overwhelmed, you know how you can help yourself unwind or relax, or at the very least not think about it.

Empathy

Empathising, and I mean truly empathising, is one of the hardest things to do with another human.

Understanding how someone is feeling and being able to relate to them on an emotional level unlike any other is a difficult task.

The key to empathy is not to try and solve the problem, fix the issue, it's to let someone know that no matter what issues they are going through, no matter how they are feeling, they are accepted without judgement.

Now, to empathise with someone, you don't need to have gone through the exact same situation as them. But as long as you can relate to the emotion that they are feeling.

Because that's all we can do. We will never go through what someone is going through, because everyone is unique and everyone's perspective is different.

But emotions are universal; happiness, sadness, excitement, fearful, worry, these are things everyone experiences.

Mental Health First Aiders

A Mental Health First Aider isn't here to boost our own egos by helping those who are in need.

We are here to ensure that everyone is able to take care of themselves, during the best of times and the worst of times.

So with all of that being said, if anyone needs a chat, feel free to reach out and I will see how I can help.