{"id":9965,"date":"2023-11-23T16:49:58","date_gmt":"2023-11-23T16:49:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.webhostlabs.net\/synergy\/?p=9965"},"modified":"2023-11-23T16:50:02","modified_gmt":"2023-11-23T16:50:02","slug":"improving-your-mental-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.webhostlabs.net\/synergy\/2023\/11\/23\/improving-your-mental-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Improving your Mental Health:"},"content":{"rendered":"Keeping Sane in the Current Environment<\/u><\/i><\/h1>\n\u201cI would like to run away from my life\u201d.<\/i><\/b><\/h2>\n
That was how one client described her state of mind when we met. A combination of personal and business upsets meant that the past year had been really tough and it all seemed overwhelming. Her suggestion about the way forward was a fairly common fantasy; abandon everything and start over. I told her that there would be a long queue if that option actually existed.<\/p>\n
Against the Tide:<\/b><\/h2>\n
Consider the guy who signs up for a fitness regime. He hits the pool on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and runs on a couple of the other days. After 6 months he stands on the weighting scales to discover that he\u2019s put on three pounds! When you swim against the economic tide, winning can seem impossible. Virulent competition, mind-numbing regulation or any number of other hassles can seem insurmountable. In the current environment it\u2019s difficult to feel good about your managerial skills or even to maintain confidence. But context is everything. While anyone can steer the boat when the sea is calm, it takes an incredible sailor to weather a storm. And, without doubt, we\u2019re coming through the biggest economic storm this country has ever witnessed. If your business is still alive and kicking that\u2019s an achievement. However, when brutal business conditions coincide with a personal crisis, then you have all the elements for a Perfect Storm. And that\u2019s exactly where this particular client found herself.<\/p>\n
Fight or Flight?<\/b><\/h2>\n
Many of us have entertained the idea of \u2018flight\u2019. We could spend the rest of our days simmering prawns on the Phi Phi Islands in Thailand or working as a *Realtor in southern California. Yes, just dial Aer Lingus and top up that tan. The reality is that during the recession it\u2019s difficult to keep mentally afloat as we are constantly bombarded by negativity and sometimes feel stuck with the life we have.\u00a0\u201cIreland forfeits economic independence\u201d; \u201cDouble dip recession forecast\u201d; \u201cLongest downturn in modern history\u201d<\/i>\u00a0scream out from every media source.<\/p>\n
So, if you plumb the depths of despair to the point that you would really like to start all over again, is there anything you can actually do? Here are a couple of simple (not simplistic) steps that just might make sense:<\/p>\n
1. Surviving:<\/b><\/h2>\n
Depending on the depth of the issues faced, some people need to talk to their GP\/medial Consultant and get some short-term pharmaceutical support. We tend to think of suicide as a teenage phenomenon \u2013 but some recent high profile cases have shown this stereotype to be wide of the mark. Where the mental pain is acute, you may need some short-term support (even if you don\u2019t \u2018see yourself\u2019 as the type of person who relies on tranquilizers or anti-depressants to get through life). As a child, walking past Grangegorman Mental Hospital, I asked my mother about the high walls. She replied:\u00a0\u201cThat\u2019s to keep all the mad people out of there\u201d.<\/i>\u00a0We all need support from time to time. Don\u2019t be afraid to shout for help.<\/p>\n2. Coping:<\/b><\/h2>\n
If the presenting issues are immediate, there is often a need for a short-term coping strategy to \u2018get beyond the impasse\u2019. For example, when a range of concerns become jumbled\u00a0(\u201cI don\u2019t like my wife\u201d; \u201cthe kids are underperforming\u201d; \u201cI\u2019m drinking too much\u201d; \u201cMy career is going nowhere\u201d)<\/i>\u00a0it can be useful to group these and come up with some short-term priority actions. Not everything needs to be sorted today. It\u2019s like the old question:\u00a0\u201cHow do you eat an elephant\u201d?<\/i>\u00a0(\u201cOne bite at a time\u201d).<\/i><\/p>\n3. Support:<\/b><\/h2>\n
![](\"https:\/\/dpnlive.com\/images\/stories\/graphics2\/mentalhealth.jpg\")
It used to be that talking to a counsellor was seen as sign of weakness \u2013 a half-step towards a formal admission of mental instability. If\u00a0\u2018real men don\u2019t eat quiche\u2019<\/i>, then they certainly don\u2019t visit psychotherapists for the talking cure. Executives, both men and women, typically don\u2019t see themselves as \u2018needy\u2019 or dependant. But this viewpoint is based on a misnomer. Mental health problems are often best understood as temporary aberrations. If you broke your arm playing tennis there would be zero problem going to the A&E Department to have the bone re-set. In similar vein, sometimes you need a \u2018mental re-set\u2019. Don\u2019t be afraid to seek professional support. Spending money on your mental health can be a solid investment. Embrace that L\u2019Oreal tagline: \u2018Because you\u2019re worth it\u2019.\u00a0<\/i>It\u2019s cheaper and more effective than making best friends with a line of white powder or Captain Morgan.<\/p>\n4. Thriving:<\/b><\/h2>\n
![](\"https:\/\/dpnlive.com\/images\/stories\/graphics2\/confucius.jpg\")
Longer term, it\u2019s definitely useful to have a \u2018life plan\u2019 with something broader to aim towards. When the immediate presenting issues have been dealt with, you can begin to look further out the road. Perhaps learn something from the Chinese philosophy which suggests that there are three central elements to happiness\u00a0(1)<\/b>\u00a0Something to do\u00a0(2)<\/b>\u00a0Someone to love\u00a0(3)<\/b>\u00a0Something to look forward to. But you can only get into this \u2018swamp draining\u2019 arena, when the crocodiles have been shot! Unfortunately, you can\u2019t skip to Step 4 if the earlier issues are not \u2018sorted\u2019.<\/p>\n
![](\"\/images\/stories\/graphics2\/mentalhealth.jpg\")
It used to be that talking to a counsellor was seen as sign of weakness \u2013 a half-step towards a formal admission of mental instability. If\u00a0\u2018real men don\u2019t eat quiche\u2019<\/i>, then they certainly don\u2019t visit psychotherapists for the talking cure. Executives, both men and women, typically don\u2019t see themselves as \u2018needy\u2019 or dependant. But this viewpoint is based on a misnomer. Mental health problems are often best understood as temporary aberrations. If you broke your arm playing tennis there would be zero problem going to the A&E Department to have the bone re-set. In similar vein, sometimes you need a \u2018mental re-set\u2019. Don\u2019t be afraid to seek professional support. Spending money on your mental health can be a solid investment. Embrace that L\u2019Oreal tagline: \u2018Because you\u2019re worth it\u2019.\u00a0<\/i>It\u2019s cheaper and more effective than making best friends with a line of white powder or Captain Morgan.<\/p>\n![](\"\/images\/stories\/graphics2\/confucius.jpg\")
Longer term, it\u2019s definitely useful to have a \u2018life plan\u2019 with something broader to aim towards. When the immediate presenting issues have been dealt with, you can begin to look further out the road. Perhaps learn something from the Chinese philosophy which suggests that there are three central elements to happiness\u00a0(1)<\/b>\u00a0Something to do\u00a0(2)<\/b>\u00a0Someone to love\u00a0(3)<\/b>\u00a0Something to look forward to. But you can only get into this \u2018swamp draining\u2019 arena, when the crocodiles have been shot! Unfortunately, you can\u2019t skip to Step 4 if the earlier issues are not \u2018sorted\u2019.<\/p>\n![\"earned](\"https:\/\/dpnlive.com\/images\/stories\/graphics2\/learned%20helplessness.jpg\" "\\"Click")
<\/p>\n![\"Paul](\"\/images\/stories\/people\/paul_mooney.jpg\" "\\"Paul")
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