Styrelsen for Samfundssikkerhed and Psykiatrifonden have presented seven concrete pieces of advice for staying mentally afloat in an uncertain time.
The Danish authority for societal security and the mental health organization Psykiatrifonden released the advice on Thursday, September 3. As DR reports, the list is framed as guidance for strengthening mental well-being in a restless world.
Per the authority, the advice is published as part of its general work on increasing robustness and resilience to crises in society broadly. Robustness is more than managing on your own with food and water, the agency states. It also involves taking care of ourselves and each other.
Marianne Skjold, director of Psykiatrifonden, says it is also important to build up mental preparedness. According to the presentation, war, natural disasters and accidents fill both daily life and the media, which affects well-being.
The seven pieces of advice
- Accept worries and limit them. Share them with others, write them down, and set aside limited time for them.
- Focus attention on what you can influence, and separate that from what cannot be controlled.
- Hold on to routines, sleep, diet and exercise, since body and mind are connected.
- Limit the news stream, because constant exposure can cause unrest, stress and powerlessness.
- Tend to relationships, and ask family, friends and colleagues how they are doing.
- Do something meaningful, whether in the family, at work or as a volunteer.
- Be kind to yourself, and meet yourself as you would meet a good friend.
On the first point, the authority notes that feeling worried, afraid or powerless is entirely normal in an unsettled world. The point is not to remove those feelings, but to give them the right place. Not all worries can be solved, the advice states.
On routines, the agency says a fixed rhythm in daily life can make it easier to keep an overview when everything else feels unpredictable. Mental health is also strengthened by sleep, diet and daily movement, according to the presentation.
The fourth piece of advice addresses phone and media use. Staying informed is important, the authority states, but constant exposure can create unrest and a sense of powerlessness. It recommends being more conscious of news consumption and taking breaks when bad news becomes too much.
On relationships, the agency writes that people become more resilient when they stand together with others. That includes talking with family, friends and colleagues about what is on their minds. Community can provide support and hope, according to the advice.
The final point is to show understanding that one’s reactions are normal, without a demand to handle everything perfectly. People tend to be harder on themselves than necessary in difficult periods, the authority states.
