How are you feeling today? I’m asking as this September edition is our first-ever dedicated healthy mind issue. With growing awareness of, and discussion around, mental health (one in five of us experiences mental health problems, according to the
Government), we wanted to unpack some of the most commonly experienced problems, such as anxiety, depression and stress. The aim: to give you a ‘mental health toolbox’ to help you feel empowered as you navigate the obstacles of modern life, such as feeling at breaking point doing your ‘third shift’ (the first shift being your actual job and the second being chores at home; the third shift is managing your digital life). See our self-care strategies in Your Healthy Mind Protection Plan, p32. ‘For me, it’s definitely a very personal battle against an ongoing buzz of stress – a racing mind and heart in the middle of the night, or when I wake up – that I am just Not Going To Get Everything Done. Somewhere, a ball will be dropped. The only remedy that regularly works for me is exercise – cycling, swimming (my favourite for mindfulness) and, now, as I prepare to take on the Three Peaks Charity Challenge with others in my office (including our writer, Hattie), it’s walking whenever I can.