So, today is World Mental Health Day!
I am
currently sat on a train on my way back from a night shift. I wanted to sit and
write a blog yesterday about the travesty of the recent negative headlines
projected all over the national media. But I thought enough negative talk all
the time - today is a day to celebrate; a day where every one perhaps takes
just a second longer (hopefully even more) just to really think about what mental health means to them.
After reading the shocking statistics spun
on the front of a national newspaper a few days ago, I left work this morning
feeling proud to be the person I am, happy to have the profession I have and
confident waving goodbye to my service users knowing that I really am making a
difference to their lives. I feel safer working in my hospital on a night shift
then I do making my way through hoards of tunneled, grumpy and sleepy
commuters on a mission to get to work, I can tell you! At least the patients I work with smile when I pass them, hold open doors for me out of kindness and say please and thank you. Let’s just take a moment to think about the contrast of that.
As I’m sat on the train, having just fought
my way through rush hour my biggest concerns five minutes ago were: Will I make my train on time? Will I have
time to buy my ticket? Would this damn person stop knocking into my back every
time the bus makes a sudden stop! For most people 07:56 gets filled with
thoughts such as these. But please lets take a moment to consider those whose
thoughts are seriously worth thinking about, those who may have struggled to
get out of bed this morning due to sheer lack of motivation or feelings of
hopelessness, those who have been up all night looking after relatives and
loved ones and those who perhaps feel like instead of fighting through hoards
of commuters they are fighting just to get through the rest of the day.
Please lets all take, not a second, but a
couple of minutes (AT LEAST) to take a look around us. Look and SEE the person
sitting opposite you on the tube this morning, the guy who you sit next to at
work or the homeless man asking for change as you speed past them worrying
about what time you’ll arrive at work. Give them a smile, open a door, god
forbid, even give people a bit more time. Ask people how they really are, take a
little more time to really stop and think. Are they really OK when they say
they are? Make them a cup of tea. We are all in this world together, and we all know it’s a nowhere from perfect one. A smile costs nothing, a bit of loose
change won’t go a miss and taking time to listen to people if perhaps they don't seem their usual bright self at work. It’s amazing what a bit of human kindness can
bring.
Lets all also take a minute to appreciate
that if our biggest worries are making the 08:03 train and not spilling coffee
on our white shirts then we really have nothing to frown about today.
I challenge everyone who reads this to ask
at least three people today how they are and really mean it! Take time to
listen and see what a difference you can make to someone’s day… I’d be interested
to hear how it made you feel too...
