A big focus for January is mental health, especially with the yearly Bell Let's Talk campaign. January is also known to be a time of year when we make a resolution and most of the time it is related to our physical health in some way. But looking after your mental health is just as important as looking after your physical health. Why not make it a time to focus on taking care of yourself in terms of mental health as well?
The last few weeks might have been a race for you to get to the holidays, and for some of you, these holidays were not exactly a synonym for resting. Having to travel to see family or welcoming them into your home can surely bring a lot of joy but for others, it can be disrupting. Checking in on yourself is paramount. A good tool to assist you with this can be the Mental Health Continuum.
It’s important to be self-aware of how you are doing, and taking the proper action to help you cope with challenges. To help you do that, here is a tool called the Mental Health Continuum Model.
(Reference: Mental Health Commission of Canada, The Working Mind)
The mental health continuum reflects mental wellness on a continuous linear perspective, with the two extremes being green and red. We can shift positions on the continuum as situations improve or deteriorate. When you lie within the green, you are generally satisfied and happy in your life. You are emotionally well-balanced, stable, and goal-oriented. Whereas when you lie in the yellow or orange, you may show some distress and inability to cope but are capable of performing daily life functions. This would be the time to seek help. You don’t want to wait until you are in the red and at a point where you are unable to cope with stress and exhibit significant changes in your thoughts, behavior, and actions. You can take the self-assessment via The Working Mind Self Check.
While posted OUTCAN you not only have access to a wide range of US resources, but Canadian ones as well and we understand that this can be overwhelming to navigate. Fortunately you have access to an abundance of resources highlighted on our Family Mental Health webpage and our MFS US Family Counsellors can help you find the resources that are the most appropriate for your situation and a good fit for you and/or your family.
Lastly, we'd like to take this opportunity to highlight some lesser known Virtual Programs available to CAF Families posted OUTCAN:
- Strongest Family Institute:
Strongest Families is a Canadian award-winning charity based in Nova Scotia, offering evidence-based bilingual mental health services for children/youth, adults, and their families. The different programs are related with Behaviour, Anxiety & Depression, Pain, Bedwetting.
- Hold Me Tight:
This program is for couples looking to improve their relationship by strengthening their bond and addressing any difficulties through better conflict resolution and positive problem solving skills.
To learn more about any of the above programs, please connect with one of our Family Counsellors. Their information can be found on our Family Mental Health webpage.
