Falling on 10 October every year, World Mental Health Day is an occasion to raise awareness about the importance of mental well-being and being mindful of mental health issues that are often invisible or hiding just under the surface. At QNET, we believe in Absolute Living – a holistic approach to well-being – and as a hardworking direct seller, your mental health is one of the areas you must prioritise in order to live absolutely.
Here are 4 steps you should take to improve your mental well-being.
1. Reach Out to Other People
Connecting with people you love – your QNET family, your friends, your own family – is an important building block when it comes to your mental health. Nurturing positive relationships helps you feel good about the world, makes you feel happier and more secure, and even gives you a sense of purpose.
Socialisation Tips:
- Set aside some time each day to spend quality time with your family.
- Organise a day out with friends you haven’t hung out with in a while.
- Switch off the TV and switch to board games with your kids or friends.
- Make the effort to call people instead of texting all the time.
- Speak to a stranger and find out about their lives.
2. Stay Active
You don’t need a gym membership to keep fit. Go on a walk, explore nature by riding a bicycle instead of driving around, play a team sport with your friends or even strangers. Find an activity that engages you physically without making you miserable, and make it part of your weekly routine. The mind and body are not separate. Healthy body = healthy mind.
Activity Tips:
- Jog in place while you’re watching your favourite show.
- Start running with the Couch to 5K If you like non-fiction, try the Lord-of-The-Rings-inspired Walk to Mordor activity.
- Put on your favourite songs and have an impromptu dance party in your living room.
- Walk everywhere you don’t actually need a car for and take the stairs every opportunity you get.
- Join a Zumba or boxing class not just for the cardio, but also the fun.
3. Keep Learning
If you want to feel that sense of achievement and gain new confidence in yourself, all you have to do is pick up a new skill. Scientific evidence shows that continuing to learn well after your childhood days in school, continuing to learn throughout life, improves and maintains our mental wellbeing. No, we’re not only talking about getting more qualifications – there are so many different ways to introduce learning into your life!
Learning Tips:
- Enrol into a qLearn course to pick up a new certificate whenever you’re free and from wherever you are.
- Taking a cooking class and learn how to make your favourite dishes from scratch.
- Pick up a DIY project close to your heart, be it planting a vegetable garden or creating a clubhouse for your kids.
- Watch YouTube tutorials to pick up a new skill you’ve always wanted to be good at. Maybe a music lesson, maybe a make-up tutorial. The internet is your oyster.
4. Raise Yourself To Help Mankind
Even the smallest act of kindness can have a ripple effect. Be generous with your smile and compliments; say thank you and give out kind words wherever you can; volunteer with projects that mean something to you; help out a friend in an area they’re struggling with. Volunteering your time or your money is a great way to gain a sense of purpose and well-being.
Volunteering Tips:
- Practice RYTHM and participate the next time QNET organises an event in your country.
- Join Kiva, a non-profit microloans company that helps people in need all over the world.
- Mentor an up-and-coming entrepreneur or a new downline.
- Help a friend or family member who is in dire need of your help.
- Volunteer in local community projects – a soup kitchen, a community hospital, or bring joy to an old persons’ home in your city.
Whatever you choose to do this World Mental Health Day, remember that it is important to take care of yourself first before you take care of others. Making simple changes in your lifestyle and including these few activities in your daily routine need not be expensive or time-consuming but your mental well-being first and start today! After all, what better day to start than on World Mental Health Day?