Terry Jacobsen’s Post

Every day is a chance to connect and ask, "Are you OK?" Remember, even if someone seems fine and says they're okay, it doesn’t always mean they are. You don't need any special qualifications to reach out – just a genuine heart and a willingness to talk openly about mental health. A simple conversation can be a powerful act of support. Take a moment today to check in with your friends, family, and colleagues. Ask them, "R U OK?" The journey to wellbeing begins with a caring connection.

A lot of companies, managers and individuals take mental health very seriously and welcome any conversations around it. It's lovely to see people take a 'mental health day' off as well. It's a relevant theme to talk on socials too. But if you acknowledge a problem and still don't move the goal post. Do you really understand mental health? 'Hey, please take the day off'.. 2 days later.. 'Hey where are we on this? Have you sent it?' There is no easy answer to this like 'yeah let's shift the deadline a bit' because a deadline is more often than not a factor of various realities functioning together. Maybe on organisation has to be set up and connected in a way that it can absorb a colleague hitting a blocker. But before that, we need to talk about the larger systems that still continue to reinforce a very neurotypical way of functioning, level of education and empathy around mental health, and just maybe truly acknowledge that sometimes the person experiencing it is as clueless about it as you are.

Every day is a chance to connect and ask, "Are you OK?" Remember, even if someone seems fine and says they're okay, it doesn’t always mean they are. You don't need any special qualifications to reach out – just a genuine heart and a willingness to talk openly about mental health. A simple conversation can be a powerful act of support. Take a moment today to check in with your friends, family, and colleagues. Ask them, "R U OK?" The journey to wellbeing begins with a caring connection.

Last week I became a Mental Health First Aider through MHFA England® and WellBe Link! And here are some interesting takeaways... 💚Supporting others can't start until we look after ourselves. The work starts with YOU. 😤Ever been in a room full of stressed people and you too start to feel tense, irritated and anxious? This is (partly) because stress is contagious. Our bodies release cortisol when stressed, so much so that it can seep out of our skin. And when a room full of people are leaching cortisol, it's transferrable. 🔟Statistically, there is a ten year gap from when someone starts experiencing signs of mental distress until they seek out professional help. This is known as the decade of delay. So what does all of this go to say? That bad days happen, bad weeks happen, bad years happen. We are all traversing a world full of stressors and triggers, many of us experiencing or recovering from trauma. So let's be kind to one another. Let's respect each other. Let's demand safer communities, safer conversations and relationships. Let's destigmatize mental health and make wellbeing an absolute priority. Let's put care at the top of the list. (Photo from the LA Times). #peopleandculture #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthfirstaid

As part of #StressAwarenessMonth, we asked our teams for some of their thoughts on stress and work and what we can do to combat it. Here's our Sales & Operations Coordinator, Sarah Barrack. "At Flare, we strive to create an environment where we can openly express our thoughts & feelings and break the stigma of stress and mental health. With the support of our management team and mental health first aiders, our goal is to actively listen, provide validation of feelings and where appropriate, offer advice on how we might approach stressful situations in future." Do you have any advice on how you handle stress? Let us know in the comments. #StressAwarenessMonth #wellbeing #stress #FlareCares

Here's me in lovely Troon over the Easter weekend. And just like that, it's April. Did you know that we've now hit Stress Awareness Month? The Stress Awareness Society has introduced this year's theme, #LittleByLittle As part of this theme, I really like the 'building a house' analogy. The Society says that laying down a single brick may not seem significant. You might start small (like taking deep breaths or writing down one thing you're grateful for each day). As you add more brick, your mental health house starts to take shape. Each brick represents a conscious choice to build mental health and resilience adding, in turn, strength and stability. Have a look at their website for more details and what small actions we can each take to help make big changes to our wellbeing. On Good Friday, I chose one of the recommended actions, to spend time in and look at the beauty of nature. #wellbeing #stressawarenessmonth #peoplefirst #stopthestigma

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, let's break the stigma and open a conversation about mental well-being. It's time to thrive, not just survive! Read Dr. B's latest blog post: https://bit.ly/3V81YRL

Searching for what truly fulfils you is no easy task–and you’re certainly not alone. Half of all young adult’s mental health is negatively influenced by “not knowing what to do with my life.” It’s easy to feel behind when it seems like everyone else has it all figured out, leading to feelings of shame or isolation. But the truth is, many of us are still figuring it out. 🤝 Let’s talk openly about these feelings, it’s okay to be unsure and seeking! By sharing, we realise we’re all in similar situations, and together we can support each other in finding our paths. #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek #thymia Reference: Weissbourd, R., Batanova, M., Mcintyre, J., Torres, E., Irving, S., Eskander, S., & Bhai, K. (2023). On Edge Understanding and Preventing Young Adults’ Mental Health Challenges. https://lnkd.in/e4mSVu3B

If you had more time, would that solve all your problems? Ever feel caught up in the whirlwind of tasks, leaving no room to focus on your mental health? Growing up, you may not have experienced emotional support from caregivers, but now, as a mom, you're determined to provide it for your kids. Yet, how do you navigate your emotions amidst life's challenges? Do you find yourself postponing self-care with the familiar "I'm too busy" or "I'll get to it later"? We've all been there, thinking, "If only I had more time." But here's the catch: If you had more time, would you use it effectively, or would it still feel insufficient? It's time to break free from the busyness trap. Let's explore how to nurture emotional resilience together.

We have the ability to rewire our brains, to ensure our neural pathways serve us instead of tripping us up. Here are just a few simple ways we can rewire our brains for better mental health and wellbeing. www.harvestcoaching.com.au