Paul Farmer CBE, CEO of UK's leadingmental health charity Mind believes that the Covid-19 lockdown has given people the time to introspect on themselves and recognize the importance of mental health and well-being.- People are now taking time away from their screens so they have a little time for themselves like reading, fitness, exercises etc.
- ‘Protective factors’ can help mental health, shrugging off negative aspects of lockdown. For instance, hugging your grandchild, taking part in team sports can help sustain through these tough times.
Commander of the Order of the British Empire or CBE is the highest ranking order of the British Empire Award, which is given to the people to recognise their positive impact. Paul received a CBE for his contribution to mental health in May 2016.
People are keen to understand what kind of help and support they can receive for their mental wellbeing. “We’ve seen an increase in the number of people expressing and articulating
‘Protective factors’ of mental health
There are ‘protective factors’ that can help like shrugging off negative aspects of the lockdown, according to Paul Farmer.
- Hugging your grandchild, taking part in team sports can help people these tough times.
- Moreover, conversations via virtual tools like Zoom, teams can help in “being able to spot somebody you trust where you might need to tell what you’re struggling with,” Farmer said.
- People are now taking time off from their screens so they have a little time for themselves like reading, fitness, exercises. “Good routine — sleeping really well, good attention to diet, and physical activity is important,” Paul said.
- “Detaching a little bit from that is not necessarily a bad thing and that can help build your protective ability.” For instance, in 2008 when people were threatened about the financial crisis, they became too obsessed with what is going to happen next.
- While social media can be the best way to keep updated on new updates on the pandemic and other important information, it can also be a means of stress. “How many times have we seen some disinformation that makes us worry about something we don’t need to worry about.” Choose the sources of information carefully.
- On personal platforms, you can probably choose your friends. “Be careful about who you open up to and who your friends really are in these times. And not necessarily, you have to pose a perfect existence.”
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