Today is World Mental Health Day 2014.
I thought I would share my thoughts and observations on how I try to manage my own mental health. Everyone suffers stress, distress, anxiety, concern at some point of their day, week or lives and it is important to be able to recognise and manage how we deal with it.
Please believe I am not putting myself forward as an expert in this field by any stretch of the imagination, I am only trying to open up conversation and discussion. I apologise in advance if anyone is offended by my views.
Before I had my three children, I worked as an Adult Mental Health Support Worker for over 5 years in Edinburgh. I then decided to do a post graduate diploma in Art Therapy, which I loved and worked in for a few years. After having my children I decided that I wanted to spend more time with them so I developed a business that I was able to do from home.
My Motto has been ” Life is a Roller coaster, You just gotta ride it” from the famous philosopher Sir Ronan Keating!
Each day is different, you need flexibility, endurance, sense of humour, strength, perseverance, and Love. But I believe life is for living and you need to make the best of the opportunities that are available to you.
So I wanted to share what has been happening to me this week, and what Lego has to do with it!
I have a house full of Lego soup, I have lego under the couch, I have lego in kitchen cupboards, I have Precious Lego Creations on top of the Fridge!
BUT I think it is the best toy ever. What an excellent example of a successful brand that has developed and grown with the times, even today when there is so much competition from computer games and new technologies.
This week my 8 year old got a large Lego Construction Car for his birthday.
We open the box and everything is in numbered bags with corresponding instructions. * I CANT DO IT ! – panics son, but eventually by following each instruction in the right order it all comes together and he has amazed himself.What have we learned ?
Lesson1- To look at the big picture is sometimes overwhelming but if you break it down into little pieces then it is more manageable and achievable.
Lesson 2 – Organising and planning and doing everything in the right order makes life so much easier ! (This is definitely my weak point)
Lesson 3 – Once son has successfully built vehicle, he breaks it down and builds it his way! Learn the basics well then you can add your own personality to it.
So this week Lego has definitely been a learning and creative tool for everyone. I will need to remind myself of this the next time I stand on a sharp piece on the kitchen floor!
News Update: I have completed week 6 of my NHS Couch to 5K challenge by running for 20minutes. I feel so much better physically and mentally and would really recommend it if like me you strive to get a little bit of ‘headspace’ in your day.
Enjoy Your Weekend
Gail x
