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  • Writer's pictureabbyklake

6 Ways You Can Take Care of your Mental Health

Updated: Oct 6, 2021

Being a young carer means dealing with endless responsibilities and taking on duties that often surpass what any other person your age should deal with.


With the Coronavirus pandemic keeping everyone trapped indoors, mental health has been on an even greater decline since. So what can you possibly do to keep your mental health in check?



1. Schedule in downtime for fun and exciting activities


Giving yourself time every day – even if just ten minutes – is vital in keeping your emotions in check. Judy Norris, a Community Carer and ex-SEN Teaching Assistant, emphasised the importance of incorporating scheduled “downtime” as a way to reduce stress and anxiety.


“Students I worked with would identify an outlet which helped support them to decompress, such as listening to music, reading or gaming,” Judy said.


“For example, a lady that I have supported in the community had a particular interest in art therapy where she would order the paint colours into tones and colour wheels.”


In their article, Laughter is the Best Medicine, charity organisation, Help Guide, explained how laughter can strengthen your immune system, diminish pain and protect you from the damaging effects of stress.


What do you enjoy doing that makes you laugh and may be able to help you relax?



2. Journal or draw to measure your progress and assess your emotions.


Another method that Judy suggested trying out is downloading a free virtual diary app on your phone and taking some time to write down your thoughts and feelings.


Confidential multi-channel service, The Mix, also explained that one main benefit of journaling is that it gives you a “place to vent” if you’re having a bad day or just want to have a good rant.


Alternatively, Judy also found that the students she worked with would each day draw part of a flower rather than writing.


“By doing this easy task every day, or even every couple of days, it works as a reminder that any progress and growth you make takes time,” she explained. “Just like the way a flower makes often unseen small steps in growth every day.”



3. Be present in the moment.


In the e-book, The Complete Guide to Preventing Caregiver Burnout and Finding Your Self-Care Routine by Home Care Assistance, they explain that mindful breathing can help to reduce stress levels


in your body, lower your heart rate, reduce depression and reduce the possibility of burnout for caregivers.


Lisa Jane, who used to be a young carer and is now training to be a nurse, said: “The best part of mindfulness is that it can be done any time of the day: break time, lunchtime, whenever you have a chance to sit down.”


“I’d definitely say journaling, colouring and breathing exercises are all wonderful things to help you deal with stress.”


If you don’t know where to start, there are plenty of meditation and mindful breathing resources online that you may also find helpful when starting out, such as videos on YouTube.


Regardless of how you think you feel, scheduling in time during your day to practice mindful breathing can be useful in assessing your emotions.



4. Facetime friends and family.


Throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, the UK Government have allowed people to form support bubbles with another household. However, not everyone is fortunate enough to have family or friends who live close by.


In these cases, there is always the opportunity to facetime the ones you love instead.


Christine Branigan, who was once a young carer and is now a young carer ambassador, explained how she finds face-timing friends and family is helpful for her mental health.


She said: “I do think it’s really important to have a good support system around you, especially for young carers. So using FaceTime or social media to connect with them is a great way to do this because young carers do not get a lot of time to themselves.”


The simple act of connecting to others outside of your immediate household can also help to distract you from your responsibilities as a young carer, which is needed now more than ever because of lockdown.



5. Disconnect from social media.


Social media can lead to feelings of envy, jealousy, depression and boredom as it allows you to compare yourself to others.


Charity organisation, Mental Health, recommends being more intentional with the time you spend on social media and suggests deleting mobile apps and logging into desktop versions instead to avoid the habit of scrolling.


“Social media wasn’t as big in 2001,” Lisa Jane said. “But I would say a break from social media could be helpful when you’re feeling overwhelmed, especially with all the bad news at the moment.”


You may have recently seen the growing teenager-led ‘LOG OFF Movement’ organisation on Instagram and Twitter also calling for people to set out time in their day to log off and focus on themselves.



6. Let others know when you’re struggling.


Being a young carer, particularly in a global pandemic, is a huge challenge and sometimes it can be easy to forget that there are people you can speak to.


Christine emphasised the importance of never feeling like you have to struggle in silence and knowing that there is support out there for you.


“Remember it is okay to not be okay but don’t suffer in silence,” Christine said. “You’re not alone and we are here to support you any way we can. You are amazing, strong and an incredible person. Be very proud of yourself.”


Numerous young carer organisations in the UK are always more than happy to help you and a lot of them have helplines that you can reach out to them on. However, if you do not want to speak to them, then both Christine and Lisa Jane recommended speaking to your family and friends.


Lisa said: “If you have other members of your family around too, let them know how you feel because it’s possible they feel exactly the same way.”


By Abby K Lake

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