World Mental Health Day is on the 10th of October every year. This years theme is ‘Make mental health and wellbeing for all a global priority’.
Here at real5 Digital, we work hard to ensure that our team has everything they need to look after their mental health.
Whether it’s just taking a minute in our morning catch-up to focus our breathing, increasing our energy with a 30-second dance party, stretching out our woes, team lunches or our daily debrief we always make time for each other.
Making sure we take time out to relax and bond as a team gives us the opportunity to have a break from work, allowing us to come back refreshed.
We asked the team how they all deal with feeling low, in or outside of work.
Steph is all about Hibernation
“I’m an extroverted introvert who needs ample time to refresh her social batteries… so I hibernate, with Ron my schnauzer, and Gaz my husband, good food, and comfort tv shows. My current favorite is Supernatural.”
She’s also a big believer in therapy: “Therapy is a big one for me… the best advice I ever received was to think about therapy the way you think about the gym, it’s like health maintenance, but for your brain. We are all guilty of missing a few gym sessions here and there, but I must admit I rarely miss a therapy session. Professional help can give you a sounding board for your feelings, you can get proper guidance when self-care just doesn’t cut it anymore. I’m a big believer in putting in the work, but sometimes the work can require that extra step so if you need to medicate, then medicate properly and on the recommendation of your therapist/doctor.”
Gee said when she’s feeling low, she goes on a big walk with Maui.
“I also enjoy doing some macrame whilst listening to music or reading a book.” Gee also told us “I had my own personal journey with therapy which has helped my mental health over the past few years. I worked with my therapist to create my own ‘toolbox’ with exercises and things to think about when I’m feeling low. My biggest takeaway was realising how important it is to stop, pause and take a moment to check in with yourself, and to never feel guilty for prioritizing working on yourself.”
Gina love’s watching a comedy
Something that will make her laugh and bring her out of the emotional mindset. “ I find spending time with my girlfriends, gossiping over a cup of tea always makes me feel better.” Gina also told us “I use the Headspace App, which is a fantastic tool to help take 5 minutes to relax, or I can use it to lull me into a deep restful sleep”.
Alex likes to separate himself from what is happening around him and disconnect.
He throws himself into something fitness-related like going on runs or riding his bike. Alex shared his enjoyment of being in his own space and sitting in a quiet room to think and reflect on the past, present, and some time in the future and think about where he would like to be and how he’s going to get there. It sounded a lot like meditation to us.
Alex told us “I also enjoy spending time with my family and friends and going on spontaneous adventures and I’m always down for last-minute plans!’
Stacey likes to walk Oscar to and from School
Majority of the time Stacey is on her laptop or mobile. Unplugging from technology and being present is very important. Writing down tasks before bed, walking Oscar to and from school, going the park, making time for family bike rides and going the gym before work are all ways Stacey de-stresses.
So there you have it, our real5 rockstars find all sorts of ways to look after their physical and mental well-being and we hope these help you de-stress!
Stay Safe,
real5 Digital Rockstars
