We thought the barometer was a simple way to illustrate all the different things that come under the term ‘mental health’ and how this relates to you. It includes everything from feeling well and happy, to feeling really low.
We thought the barometer was a simple way to illustrate all the different things that come under the term ‘mental health’ and how this relates to you. It includes everything from feeling well and happy, to feeling really low.
On a regular, sometimes even daily basis our mood and feelings fluctuate between these. Most importantly it shows that an individual can move back to being ‘content’ from a diagnosis or having long term effects.
Here’s an everyday example of how you might move through some of the stages:
- You wake up (let’s say it’s not a Monday) well rested and ready to get on with your day.
- The Bus is annoyingly late and while you are waiting it starts to rain
- You’re late for your lecture and when you finally do get in you’ve missed a vital part of your course information
- Your wonderful friend tells you he’s written everything you missed down and you don’t need to worry.
So we move through a continuum of mental health all the time, it is when are moods remain in the low mood to depressive symptoms stage for long periods of time that it may be referred to as mental ill health, or become a diagnosis.
The point is that if we start recognising how common it is for us to feel a vast array of emotions we would start asking for support sooner and combat the stigma that is involved.
