This is the first in a helpful series of weekly articles and stories on Mental Wellbeing presented by Suzie Baird and Tricia Hendry to help the Church build our knowledge, understanding, and skills to strengthen our communities.
____

There’s been a lot more talk about mental health. Have you noticed? Even in our churches. New Zealand’s been experiencing a rising tide of mental distress and addiction. One in 6 adults will be diagnosed with a common mental disorder at some point in their lives, such as depression, anxiety, or bipolar. Each year around 50,000 get support for alcohol and drug problems, but that’s about a third of those experiencing problems. And, as you’ll know, the anxieties caused by a worldwide pandemic haven’t been helping lately.

Communities haven’t always understood mental distress. For centuries it’s been surrounded by social stigma and fear, including within the Christian church. Too often Christians gave those experiencing distress little care and excluded them. Today science, research, and the honestly shared stories of those who’ve ‘been there’ have all helped us to know better, so now we can do better. How do you think Jesus wants us to respond to the mental distress of others we meet? Or to our own? 

This is the first sort article in a series that’s going to helpfully look at what mental health and mental distress is. We’ll look at what is known today, the challenges, the joys, and the ways Christians and churches can strengthen their own levels of mental health and support those in their churches or communities living with mental distress. People from across our diocese will contribute personal stories and perspectives to give us insights and increase our understanding. We hope the series will get us all learning, thinking, reflecting, praying, and putting into action some practical steps.

So, what do we mean by mental health?

When we have ‘good mental health’, we’re able to think, feel, and act in positive ways. This helps us to get through each day okay, enjoy our life, connect with others, and be able to cope with the stresses and challenges life brings us. It supports our spiritual wellbeing too.

Interestingly, our mental health sits on a continuum. This is because it can change. Our mental health moves up and down the continuum depending on the different situations we find ourselves in.

Where we sit on the continuum at any point in time will depend on all kinds of things, like the sort of stress levels we’re dealing with, how much support we do or don’t have, or past experiences that continue to echo.

When our mental health and overall wellbeing decreases, our mental distress increases. This starts to affect our ability to function normally. It influences how we think, feel, and act, and how we behave around others. Mental distress affects our attitude and moods, and our physical health, sleep, and appetite. Everyday tasks, at home or work, can become like huge mountains to climb. 

It’s important to remember that we can move in either direction along the continuum, so if our mental distress has increased, it’s possible to gradually move back towards better mental health. This can take time and can need the support and expertise of others. We will talk more about this later in the series.

By Tricia Hendry

10 ways to keep mentally well

1. Get the basics right – get enough rest/sleep, eat healthy food, drink water, keep active  

2. Connect – spend time with those you care about, invest in relationships

3. Learn ways to relax and quieten your mind – breathe deeply, stretch, pray, meditate, mindfulness…

4. Notice small things that give you joy and lift your spirit – be aware of what’s around you

5. Spend time in nature – it’s God’s gift to us

6. Do things you like to do – make time for them

7. Do things for others – it lifts mood and inspires us 

8. Keep learning – try new experiences

9. Talk things through with someone you trust – it helps to express what’s inside

10. Ask for help when you need it – we’re all doing life together. 

If you, a member of your whānau, or a friend are experiencing mental distress, please contact a GP for further mental health support and referrals. You can text or call 1737 to talk to a trained counsellor 24/7. In an emergency, please contact your local mental health crisis team or nearest Emergency Department. In a life-threatening situation call 111.

Suzie Baird is a mental health advocate. She has lived experience of mental distress that helps her to support others and educate those wanting to understand more. She attends Lyall Bay Community Church, an Anglican pioneer mission unit. 

Tricia Hendry is a writer and educator specialising in issues relating the mental health and resilience. She has many years’ experience supporting others through mental health and trauma challenges. She attends All Saints, Hataitai.