World Mental Health Day 2023

Today, 10th October, is World Mental Health Day. But what’s in a date, after all?

The stigma against people with mental health disorders can be traced back to thousands of years. The mentally ill were, at best, excluded from society, and at worst, tortured, imprisoned and killed. There was no attempt to treat mental health conditions.

Today, statistics from various countries show that between 20% and 25% of the population will face a mental health condition each year.  Those issues have always been there but were swept under the proverbial rug.

Fast forward to 2023: the stigma is still alive, but little by little, awareness is squashing it. Neurodiversity is more widely recognised, and acceptance is growing. People are less afraid to admit it when they suffer from conditions such as anxiety or depression and ask for help. There’s more research and funds dedicated to treatment. The very fact that there is a day dedicated to mental health, recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO), is a good indication of how far we’ve come.

To mark the occasion, I delivered a 15-minute presentation on micro-journaling to my colleagues today, in my role as a co-lead for the F5 Ability Employee Inclusion Group (EIG) and I'm sharing the highlights here, in case anyone in my Linkedin network would like to try it too.

Micro-journaling is a technique that works well for me, and I'm sharing my own experience in this article. I'm not a trained mental health professional.

So what exactly is micro-journaling?

Micro-journaling is basically a shorter, more informal way of journaling. This technique consists on capturing your thoughts and feelings in little snippets: it can be a word, a sentence, a drawing, a photo. It’s a smaller commitment, but you still get many of the benefits of journaling, such as being able to get some clarity, slow things down and really think about how you’re feeling. Micro-journaling can help foster positive thinking, and manage anxiety and depression.

Similar to a journal, you can access your entries later, which allows you to revisit your thoughts, track your progress and get a little positive boost.

If you'd like to give micro-journaling a go this month, here are two methods you can try:

Gratitude journal

What you will need: a notepad or scrapbook

How to do it:

• Add the date
• List 3 specific things you’re grateful for today. Instead of "I'm grateful for my family", try diving into what made you grateful. For example: "I'm grateful for my son for making me laugh with a silly joke while we were stuck in traffic".
• Use prompts or a template if you feel stuck. For example: "What made you smile today?" or "What have you accomplished today?". You can find journals online with these prompts already on the page for you.
• Look back at your entries whenever you need a reminder of what's good in your life.

After your gratitude entry, you can also add a few words to reflect on your day and write down positive things that happened.

Memory box

What you will need: a box with a lid, or a piggy bank, and memo notes

How to do it:

• Add the date, if applicable
• Write down a happy thought or memory that came to your mind, or something positive that happened to you today
• Put the memory in the box
• Cash out on random memories when you need a positive boost

Top tips on getting started

When forming a new habit, it's helpful to set a time and place to do it, and attach it to an existing habit to make the new one "stick". For example, you can do your gratitude entries every evening after you brush your teeth. This way, brushing your teeth will serve as a reminder for your journal.

• Don’t be harsh on yourself if you can’t do it regularly. Just do it when you can. “Rarely” is still better than “never”, and you can still reap the benefits, even if you only do it once in a while.
• Don’t overthink your entries. It doesn’t need to be a big life event to make it into your gratitude journal or your memory box. It also doesn’t have to be perfect or look beautiful. It's only meant for you.

Remember: there's no right or wrong way to do your micro-journaling. This is simply a tool to help with your mental health. You can do this just for yourself and keep it private, or you can do it together with your family as a shared experience. You can do drawings and doodles, instead of words. You can do it on paper or on your PC/ mobile. Find whatever works for you.

Need help with your mental health?

If you're struggling with your mental health, there are many ways to access help. In the UK, you can see Mental Health UK for some online resources, or call the Samaritans for more urgent support.