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It's Mental Health Awareness week this week - Sept 23 - 27th - and New Zealand workplaces are becoming increasingly aware of the need to keep talking about the mental wellbeing of employees. This week is an excellent opportunity to raise the profile of mental health awareness with many workplaces holding events and promoting positive conversations about mental wellbeing. Our workplaces are a microcosm of our society - here are a few New Zealand statistics:
The NZ statistics* validate the need for heightening awareness of mental health:
- 20% of adults had experience of a mental disorder
- 33% reported some degree of depression and/or anxiety
- 80% either had personal experience of mental illness or knew someone who had
- 1 in 4 adults reported medium or high levels of psychological distress
- 75%of GP visits are stress related
- Our suicide rate is higher than deaths from road accidents So here is a newsletter with a variety of tips and some information which we hope is useful.
*2016 Mental Health statistics - survey of NZ’ers 15 years or older
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WHAT TO LOOK FOR Signs of Depression
Signs of Anxiety
WAYS TO IMPROVE MY WELLBEING The Mental Health foundation suggest the 5 ways of wellbeing: 
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WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT SOMEONE It helps to have someone real and authentic to talk to... remember you don't have to solve the problem or try and be a professional, just be alongside and show genuine concern. Try the C.A.R.E.S approach and
begin a conversation: •Ask how they are doing – listen carefully and intentionally " I've noticed you haven't been yourself lately - is there anything you would like to talk about?" •Reflect back to them what you hear they are saying – without judgement "So it sounds like you are really struggling..." •Encourage the person to take a positive next step that may include professional help. " Is there anything I can do to help?... Have you thought about talking to someone about this? It is a lot to carry on your own.." • Support – them to achieve those next steps (as appropriate) and follow up "Would you like the to help to find the best source of support for you?" " I will check in with you in the next day or so to see how you have got on"
WHERE TO GET HELP* Go to your GP or your local hospital ED if an emergency * Talk to a trusted friend family member * Call or text 1737 to a trained counsellor 24/7, 365 days/year * Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757 or go online to www.depression.org.nz * Call EAPworks: 0800 735 343 for a confidential appointment 
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1. Value yourselfYou matter. Treat yourself with kindness and respect, and avoid self-criticism. Most of us to the very best with what we have to deal with. It's good to be your own best friend. 2. Be active and take care of your bodyTaking care of yourself physically can improve your mental health. Be sure to:
3. Connect - surround yourself with good peopleMake plans with supportive family members and friends, or seek out activities where you can meet new people, such as a club, class or support group. Invest time in your relationships.4. GiveVolunteer your time and energy to help someone else. You'll feel good about doing something tangible to help someone in need — and it's a great way to meet new people. Thank someone. Smile. Being part of a community feels good and you are really able to make a difference to the community. 5. Keep learningTry something new. Rediscover an old interest. Sign up for a course you have been putting off. Set a goal and take small steps toward it. Learning new things makes you feel good and can be fun. Make time for your hobbies and favourite projects, or broaden your horizons. Do a daily crossword puzzle, plant a garden, take dance lessons, learn to play an instrument or become fluent in another language. 6. Quiet your mindTry meditating or mindfulness. Relaxation exercises can improve your state of mind and outlook on life. In fact, research shows that meditation may help you feel calm and enhance the effects of therapy. 7. Take noticeBe curious. Catch sight of the beautiful and the good . Notice the weather and the sky. Savour the moment - wherever and whoever you are with. Be aware of the world and what you are feeling. reflect on your experiences. 8. Keep it variedAlthough routines make us more efficient and enhance our feelings of security and safety, a little change of pace can perk up a tedious schedule. Alter your jogging route, plan a road-trip, take a walk in a different park, hang some new pictures or try a new restaurant. 9. Minimise alcohol and other drugs Keep alcohol use to a minimum and avoid other drugs - alcohol is a depressant. Sometimes people use alcohol and other drugs to "self-medicate" but in reality, alcohol and other drugs only aggravate problems. 10. Get help when you need itSeeking help is a sign of strength — not a weakness. And it is important to remember that treatment is effective. People who get appropriate care can recover from mental illness and addiction and lead full, rewarding lives. 
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Here are some online tools that may help you:MyCompassThis is an interactive self help online tool recently clinically reviewed and released by the Black Dog Institute in Australia. It covers all ages and has assessments and interactive tools to assist. Worth a look. Mood GYMAn interactive self help program that provides cognitive behaviour therapy training to add in positive thinking and changing negative thought patterns MindShiftHelps with anxiety, positive thinking and motivation, particularly in teens and young adults. Beating the Blues [NZ]Treats depression and anxiety by using cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Talk to your doctor if you think Beating the Blues could be helpful for you (requires doctor referral). www.depression.org.nzAn excellent website with a depression self test, information and personal stories of managing depression. thelowdown.orgAn interactive website for young people featuring a self-test, fact sheets, a moderated message board and video clips from popular musicians and high profile young sports people talking about their experiences of depression. SPARX3D fantasy game for help with depression Teaches skills to manage symptoms of depression, learning cognitive behavioural therapy techniques for dealing with symptoms of depression eg, dealing with negative thoughts, problem-solving, activity scheduling, and relaxation. The Journal [NZ]Part of the National Depression Initiative – The Journal is designed to teach you skills that can help get through mild to moderate depression more effectively. HappifyThis app that allows you to boost your optimism, conquer negative thoughts, ease stress and even fix relationship friction. A questionnaire that covers your age, gender, health and employment and relationship status is used to customise the app to you. Science- based activities and games to beat stress and anxiety are then delivered. CalmKeeper [NZ]App for iPhones. Designed by clinical psychologists, this app is designed to assist with managing anxiety and panic attacks by providing immediate access to tools to help you cope. Charge applies. CALM Website, Computer Assisted Learning for the Mind [NZ]The website has tools for coping with stress and managing life. MoodPandaLets you to measure your daily moods and track the scores over time. My Happy PlaceThis app is a mood management tool that helps us train ourselves to recognise positive emotions in faces instead of negative emotions can improve our mood over time. Small charge applies. 
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EAPworks is there to help with confidential professional support
0800 SELFHELP. 0800 735 343
www.eapworks.co.nz
Here are some thoughts from Kathryn Jackson, author of "Resilience at Work" (used with permission) :
17 self help things that can help anxiety management
1. Memorise the following sentence: “What is a different way of looking at my situation?” Ask yourself this question every time you start to feel overwhelmed. Getting out of habitual patterns of over-reacting to stress and uncertainty is key for regarding yourself as a capable problem-solver.
2. Walk your dog for 30-minutes daily, or go for a walk. Movement is a wonderful metaphor for getting unstuck. Not only are you getting out of your home, but you’re getting out of your head.
3. Drink a lot of water. Staying hydrated is a simple way to improve mental health. Studies show water facilitates the delivery of nutrients to the brain, removes toxins and inflammatory markers, and improves brain function.
4. Get moving - Drop and do 10 pushups or some intense burst of exercise when your heart starts racing . Short bursts of heightened physical activity help you get rid of excess nervous energy.
5. Silently repeat, “I’m not the cause and I’m not the cure” whenever someone around you is being unreasonable. Many anxious people are overly responsible for others’ feelings.
6. Work on your emotional regulation. Successful people are usually self-aware people. They also know how to reign in their emotions and maintain composure while warding off impulsivity.
7. Think of a person you admire who sees a glass as half full. When you’re stumped about a problem ask yourself what this person would do. Anxiety can cause you to feel alone and isolated, even when you're around others. When you aren’t getting the feel-good vibes of those in your purview, think of your admired person for inspiration.
8. Practice the Pomodoro Technique when you’re demotivated and stressed about looming work or school deadlines. There are various iterations, but the classic version is to set a timer and work for 25 minutes, followed by a 5-minute break. Repeat this cycle three or four times, and then take a 15-20 minute break. This method is especially helpful when you're daunted by a huge project. Working in small batches of time is a wonderful energy renewing technique.
9. Leave work on time. A healthy boundary means respecting your obligations just as much as your “me time.”
10. Choose a mindfulness activity to ease yourself into transitions. For example, let’s say you have a hard time leaving work stress behind, and you vent on your spouse upon arriving home. Before walking through the front door, spend a few minutes in silence to make peace with what’s happened during the day. Take a few deep breaths and open the door with presence and intention.
11. Laugh. Finding humour and grace in difficult situations is a critical skill. And it doesn’t take long to distract yourself when feeling down. Since you likely have your mobile phone at the ready, take a scroll through entertaining content on Twitter or Instagram. An added benefit of these platforms is you can quickly peruse content without getting bogged down with commentary.
12. Remove rude people from your social media accounts. Think mute, unfollow and delete.
13. Plan a fun activity for the weekend. As the saying goes, "spend time around people who are good for your mental health." Plus, the act of making plans is a mood booster.
14. Read the newspaper rather than watch the news online. The salacious sidebars can be a never-ending time-suck and a contributor to procrastination. Not to mention, the Google algorithms purposefully place ads based on your search term history.
15. Clear the clutter. It’s no secret that a messy space contributes to a messy place inside your head. Before leaving work and before going to bed, spend 15 minutes tidying up and organising your office and home.
16. Focus on reality. Gratitude quotes and positive self talk can be great tot work on , but trying to put a smile on every day isn’t going to help every problem. In fact, constant positivity can be a form of avoidance, not a solution to the issue at hand. Sometimes you need to switch out the rose-tinted glasses to see your smudged, cloudy situation for what it is.
17. Accept your anxiety. You have to work harder than other people to find your calm place and that’s okay. Sometimes letting go of the need to control outcomes leads to acceptance of where you're at right now. Reflecting on what you’ve accomplished invites the realisation that as uncomfortable as your worries are, your track record for overcoming anxiety is 100 percent.
Adapted from an article written by Linda Esposito LCSW in Psychology Today
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