'Tune In' for Mental Health month

“October is recognised each year in Australia as Mental Health Month, which centres around World Mental Health Day on October 10^th. Mental health awareness is of particular importance considering the current impact of COVID-19, with many people experiencing elevated stress and a sense of isolation or disconnection from our friends, family, and the greater community.

The theme of Mental Health Month for 2021 in New South Wales is ‘Tune In’. Tuning in means being present in the moment and aware of what is happening within yourself, with those close to you, and with the world around you. Tuning in can involve a ‘check-in’ with the people who are important to you, to see what is happening for them that you can be a part of, or perhaps ways you can offer assistance.

Tuning in also means being aware of your own needs. Throughout most of our day, we are problem-solving, multi-tasking, and planning ahead. Whilst these things are important, they can also be quite draining, both physically and mentally. Setting time aside each day to disengage and focus on the moment helps to relax the body and alleviate stress.Setting time aside to ‘tune in’ doesn’t mean you have to add another job to an already busy day, the easiest way to engage in an act of mindfulness is to approach one of your everyday tasks a little differently. This could mean eating breakfast outside on your deck and focusing on the environment around you (and taking time to actually appreciate the hard work you put into your garden/lawn each week). Or it could mean putting on music as you cook dinner, not just as background noise, but focusing on the music/lyrics for entire songs (and even belting out a few lines).

Take time this month to look after yourself, tune in, and develop some positive habits that can become a part of your everyday.

James Bellman (He/His)
Senior Psychologist