Cornwall Living
Be kind to you
Take some time out with Clinical Psychologist at the Duchy Hospital, Dr Opie-Moran, to focus on mental health & wellbeing.
After the busy Christmas period, when January comes around again, New Year for some is an opportunity to create some resolutions, or focus on achievements and plans for the upcoming year. However, for some it can be a lonely time, when friends and family have returned to their day to day lives and rather than feeling excitement for the year to come, it can feel scary and overwhelming. Especially in the midst of a global pandemic, being kind to ourselves now is more important than ever.
We’ve been speaking with Dr Opie-Moran, Duchy’s Clinical Psychologist to gather some insights into looking after ourselves. Here’s what she said, “With such busy lives, and our phones at hand to distract us every available minute, we have lost the art of spending time with ourselves and listening to and responding to our own needs. Getting some routines, to help us regularly sit quietly with ourselves, gives us an opportunity to get to know and enjoy ourselves more, and to become aware of problems as they emerge rather than when they become overwhelming. If we are not comfortable sitting in silence with our own thoughts this really is a prompt to seek some external help.”
One of the most important aspects of looking after your mental health is to recognise when your mood or outlook changes. There are lots of early signs that can be worth taking note of, such as constantly worrying, losing interest in your hobbies and things you enjoy, trouble sleeping or feeling irritable. Embark upon a mood diary to keep a record of these changes.
Being kind to yourself and remembering to focus on your own mental health and wellbeing can be difficult, but even the smallest actions can help. You could start your day with a self-affirmation, something positive to tell yourself as soon as you wake up. It’s important to remember that you are good enough, you are worth it. You should give yourself credit for how far you have come and focus on even the smallest achievements.
Remember, be kind to yourself this year, and don’t forget to take time for you!
Duchy Hospital
