Best Ideas from – “Why has Nobody told me this before?”

Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community.

As indicated by the inclusion of mental health in the Sustainable Development Goals, there has been growing recognition of the crucial role mental health plays in achieving global development goals in recent years. Depression is one of the leading causes of disability. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among 15-29-year-olds. People with severe mental health conditions die prematurely – as much as two decades early – due to preventable physical conditions. Despite progress in some countries, people with mental health conditions often experience severe human rights violations, discrimination, and stigma.

I came across this beautiful book which is filled with techniques that are taught in therapy and has been written by clinical psychologist Dr Julie Smith. I’m sharing my favourite lessons from Dr Julie’s book to give you an idea of what to anticipate.

1. We must not wait until we feel like it, because feeling like it doesn’t come first, the action must come first. The feeling follows on after.  Motivation is a wonderful by-product of action.

It’s that great feeling you get when you are on the way out of the gym, not on your way in. 

2. Physically moving your body can help to shift your mind when it is otherwise difficult. When your mind starts spiralling and it’s hard to shift focus, she recommends saying stop and getting up and moving.

3.It’s a human tendency to overestimate how much others are focused on us. We are each at the centre of our own spotlight of attention and we tend to imagine that others are focused on us too, when in reality, everyone’s spotlights are usually on themselves.

4.The only way confidence can grow is when we are willing to be without it. When we can step into fear and sit with the unknown, it is the courage of doing so that builds confidence from the ground up.

Courage comes first, confidence comes second.

5. The things that give us immediate relief from our fear tend to feed that fear in the long term. Every time we say no to something because of fear, we reconfirm our belief that it wasn’t safe or that we couldn’t handle it. The things you do most of the time become your comfort zone.

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