How to Make Mental Wellbeing the Norm
Dr Jenny Brockis
Fellow and Board Certified Lifestyle Medicine Physician @ Brain Fit | Helping you overcome exhaustion and burnout to optimise your health | Wellbeing Advocate | Best-selling Author & coach
How has the pandemic affected your or your family’s mental wellbeing?
How do you think we can effectively address the second epidemic we are already facing – a rapidly growing tide of mental health challenges in our society?
What do you believe would make the biggest difference to enhance everyone’s mental wellbeing?
Mental Health Awareness
Mental health issues are expensive to us as individuals, to our families and to the economy. They currently cost the Australian government $12billion a year due to lost productivity and time off from work.
Statistics from the?WHO?report how pre-COVID close to?one billion people?were living with a mental health disorder, while 3 million people die every year from harmful use of alcohol and one person dies?every 40 seconds?by suicide.
While it’s heartening that the Australian government has stepped in with increased funding for mental health, the reality is, it will still be insufficient to meet the needs of those seeking help for psychological distress and mood disorders.
Globally it is estimated that 75% of those in low to middle-income brackets with mental, neurological and substance use disorders receive?NO?treatment.
While it’s not uncommon currently to have to wait for up to three months for an appointment to see a psychologist in Australia, it can be a six-month wait in the UK. Chronic underfunding has meant mental health services were inadequate and delayed long before the arrival of the pandemic. With a doubling in the number of people reporting psychological distress over the last seven months, this is the time to step up to the challenge and do things differently.
Our approach to mental health is outdated and ineffective.
How can we bring about positive change so?everyone?with a mental health challenge can access the help they need in a timely manner?
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Make mental wellbeing the norm
1. When conversations about mental wellbeing are expected and the norm, it’s easier to open up and have the confidence to share that you are struggling to cope.
As humans we ALL have limits and we can ALL expect to need a helping hand from time to time. It’s far better to get in early so you can recover more quickly. This will also assist in diminishing the stigma of shame and guilt that still prevails about asking for help.
The only person we are letting down by failing to ask for help when we are highly stressed, overwhelmed by anxiety or suffering with depression is us.
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2. Make mental wellbeing training universal on every curriculum of every school, tertiary institution and workplace.
This can empower you to stay mentally fit by putting in place those strategies you know keep you emotionally stable, cognitively flexible and readily adaptive to all the disruption brought about by change and those curveballs we experience in our daily lives.
The training doesn’t have to be expensive and the concepts can be easily incorporated into our schedules. The potential is to significantly reduce the future burden of chronic mental and physical health in the community. This is a win-win for all.
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3. Increase accessibility to mental health experts.
The existing one-on-one model effectively excludes those unable to afford expert help as well as those who choose not to access or don’t have access to an EAP through their workplace. Group sessions face-to-face or in a virtual setting would allow early intervention with the provision for 1-on-1 appointments determined on a needs basis by a mental health expert. In addition, Telehealth has the potential to facilitate access to assistance for those living in more remote areas.
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4. Strengthen the community.
One of the silver linings of the global pandemic has been the growing awareness of the need for strong supportive communities. During lockdown and restricted social interaction, we’ve virtually met neighbours we’ve never known, had conversations with people while out exercising or walking the dog, set up virtual coffee mornings and looked out for those we recognise as being at risk of loneliness, isolation or fear.
The strength of our social networks plays a significant role in helping those who need a hand and reduce the risk of worsening symptoms of anxiety of depression.
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5. Use technology wisely.
New technologies to enhance wellbeing and increase willingness to seek help for mental health concerns are now being trialled.?Iyarn?is an app that allows an individual to quickly do a mental health check-in. It can also be used in a group setting for teams in the workplace.
Shift?is another smartphone app being trialled to support the mental health and wellbeing of junior Medical Officers in New South Wales.
It’s time to ditch mental health being seen as a side issue to our overall health and wellbeing. A holistic approach considers the physical, emotional, mental and cognitive factors relevant to what keeps us fit, happy and healthy.
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What would you like to see being done differently?
How do you take care of your mental wellbeing?
Do you agree that mental wellbeing is essential because it comes from a place of prevention?
I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Hi, I'm Dr Jenny Brockis. I'm a medical practitioner and board-certified lifestyle medicine physician, keynote speaker and best-selling author.
I help people who are over-busy, overstretched and exhausted find the calm, clarity and confidence needed to enjoy a successful career AND live a fulfilled and rich life.
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National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach ?? Lifestyle Medicine Coach ??Well-Being Workshop Facilitator
2 年I would love to see a focus on positive psychology that could help us all move closer to thriving. I agree that our approach should come from a place of prevention. Lifestyle Medicine includes having a calm mind and managing stress well so it would be an appropriate framework for promoting health and wellbeing. Would love to see this taught in the school system but it is so challenging to make changes to the existing curriculum.
New Traditional Medicine where East meets West.Podcast host East meds West. Registered Medical Doctor, Traditional Acupuncturist.Chinese Medical philosophy. Bridging 2 medical worlds.
2 年I would love to see a re-write of the whole spectrum from prevention to diagnosis and treatment/support of mental Health, and to stop separating it as if it's alone. This is beginning to happen. We are interconnected beings. Our Health spans all aspects of us simultaneously. We have to know ourselves intimately, and honestly, and really reach out to people we trust to hold space for us, while we find our way. There is a danger of " Mental Health shopping" as we dip our toes into the vast array of self help available online. We all know what we need, but sensing and noticing that requires a settling of body and mind. I certainly need support to continue to practise that aspect for myself.
Global leader, critical thinker, strategic planner, creative problem solver, operations MSP and RPO expert, contract negotiator, SLA and KPI management, drives and strives for excellence and outstanding service,
2 年yes totally agree Mental Health should be approached proactively, and be included in general Wellbeing.
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2 年A great piece Dr Jenny Brockis. Shocking stat from the World Health Organisation that someone suicides every 40 seconds. I agree, mental wellbeing is a cornerstone of health. What would I love to see done differently? * Build resilience early in life - Increase mindfulness & meditation practises in schools from a young age, so that it becomes a habit. * Reduce addiction behaviour - Australia needs more regulation around TV and wider marketing of alcohol, gambling and gaming, fast-food and other addiction-forming products. * Tackle loneliness and increase connection - E.g. Adoption of European models of encouraging children and older adults to spend time together. Loving the exploratory SBS documentary 'Old People's Home for Four Year-olds' - incredible impact. * Encourage openness - Organisations to invest in proactive wellbeing strategies and activities for employees. And encourage conversations around Mental Health so it becomes less stigmatised.