The Work Day Mental Health Map aims to deliver all the necessary tools to support you during your busy work day.
From starting the day setting a positive intention to relaxation techniques, the map contains everything you need to guide you through any difficulty you may experience before, during and after your shift . The day ends with an act of gratitude and a deep relaxing hypnosis to get you off to sleep.
Download the Work Day Mental Health Map PDF's HERE
MINDFUL SHOWER
Why not start the by day taking a Mindful Shower - stepping out of that busy mode of the mind so caught up in thinking and worrying and stepping into the present moment.
When? - As soon as you wake up or shortly after.
How? - While taking a shower, really focus on everything you are doing. Notice the sound of the water as it sprays from the shower head and lands on your body, the smell of the soap and shampoo and how it feels against your skin. Notice the movements of your arms, hands and fingers as you wash and shampoo.
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When thoughts arise, acknowledge them, let them be and bring your attention back to showering. Again and again, your attention will wander.
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As soon as you realise this has happened, gently acknowledge and note where your mind has gone then bring your attention back to showering.
Why? - We spend so much of our time lost in thoughts we rarely experience the richness of the present moment and all it has to offer. When doing everyday tasks like taking a shower our brains go into autopilot - a state of mind in which negative thoughts can spiral without us even knowing it.
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Mindfulness in everyday tasks is a practice that teaches us to step out of the automatic pilot mode into the present moment and enjoy the here and now - since the here and now is actually all we have.
DAILY INTENTION
Setting a daily intention helps focus our mind and energy for the day.
When? - When you wake up or shortly after. Perhaps set intentions the night before so you are ready for when your days begins.
How? - When choosing an intention it should have focus and evoke emotion, be attainable, relevant and aligned with your beliefs and values.
Some intentions you might like to try:
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I will try something new today
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I will do something that makes me happy
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I will celebrate the day by embracing all of its challenges
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I will believe in myself and my abilities and will bring that to my work throughout the day
Why? - Words have incredible power and energy. Setting daily intentions, for example just trying to be 5% more positive, can dramatically change the direction of our day and be the compass we set for the weeks, months and years ahead. Perhaps ‘check in’ with your intention during the day to help keep it in mind.
NOTICE 5 THINGS
This is a simple exercise to help centre yourself and connect with your environment.
When? - Practise Notice 5 Things once a day to help train the mind to be in the present moment and lower the chance of getting swept up in negative thinking patterns.
How?
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Pause for a moment...
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look around, and notice 5 things you can see,
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listen carefully, and notice 5 things you can hear,
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lastly, notice 5 things you can feel in contact with your body. For example, your watch against your wrist, your collar against your neck, the air on your face, your feet on the floor, your back against the chair, etc.
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Click HERE to access the Notice 5 Things tutorial video.
Why? - Notice 5 Things is a grounding exercise where we step out of the busy mode of the mind.
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Although this grounding exercise is very useful during times of high anxiety and stress, making a regular habit of practising it throughout the day trains our mind to be in the present moment, avoiding getting caught up in negative thought patterns building our long-term resilience to stress.
BOX BREATHING
A simple breathing exercise to help manage anxiety and stress as well as heightening concentration and performance.
When? - You can use this technique before or during meetings and difficult phone calls - anytime you feel nervous or anxious.
How? - Breathe in for four seconds, hold your breath for four seconds, breathe out for four seconds, then hold your breath for another four seconds. If you are on a call, try doing this exercise while drawing the box on a notepad.
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Click HERE to watch the Box Breathing tutorial video.
Why? - Breathing has a direct effect on our nervous system. When we are stressed, our breathing is fast and shallow and the brain interprets this as ‘danger approaching’. We then enter a state called fight or flight where the body shuts down ‘non-essential’ functions ready for action - such as the problem solving parts of the brain. However, when we intentionally breathe slowly, as in Box Breathing, we are telling the brain that everything is calm and we leave fight or flight state and enter ‘thrive state’ which re-engages the brain, helping us to think clearly and stay focused.
CUE-CONTROLLED RELAXATION
A technique to enable an individual to achieve rapid relaxation.
When? - You can use this technique during difficult phone calls or anytime you feel nervous or anxious.
How? - Cue-Controlled Relaxation is a technique whereby we learn to relax whenever and wherever we choose to. We do this by using a cue word such as ‘peace’ and triggers like pressure on the thumb nail whilst exhaling in a deep state of relaxation. In time these can send messages to the brain to create feelings of relaxation 'on cue’.
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The exercise needs to be practised over and over again for new ‘circuits’ to be created between brain and muscle, but once established is very effective.
Why? - Relaxation strategies, such as Cue-Controlled Relaxation, help alleviate anxiety from the standpoint of the body by reducing muscle tension, slowing down breathing, and calming the mind. We have all experienced some of the symptoms of anxiety such as headaches, feeling restless and on edge, as well as trouble concentrating and thinking straight.
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Relaxation exercises help us lower the baseline of our anxiety to a more manageable and comfortable level where we can function at our best and avoid the harming effect that stress and anxiety can have on our physical and mental well-being.
NOTICE 5 THINGS
This is a simple exercise to help centre yourself and connect with your environment.
When? - Practise Notice 5 Things once a day to help train the mind to be in the present moment and lower the chance of getting swept up in negative thinking patterns.
How?
​
-
Pause for a moment...
-
look around, and notice 5 things you can see,
-
listen carefully, and notice 5 things you can hear,
-
lastly, notice 5 things you can feel in contact with your body. For example, your watch against your wrist, your collar against your neck, the air on your face, your feet on the floor, your back against the chair, etc.
​
Click HERE to access the Notice 5 Things tutorial video.
Why? - Notice 5 Things is a grounding exercise where we step out of the busy mode of the mind.
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Although this grounding exercise is very useful during times of high anxiety and stress, making a regular habit of practising it throughout the day trains our mind to be in the present moment, avoiding getting caught up in negative thought patterns building our long-term resilience to stress.
MINDFUL COLOURING
Mindful Colouring is a creative way to add some calm to your day.
When? - Even if it is only for five minutes, try and fit in some time to immerse yourself in this soothing, simple exercise to relax and unwind a busy mind.
How? - Dig out those colouring pencils or treat yourself to a shiny new set! You can download and print off some mindful colouring sheets or you can buy an adult colouring book, the options are endless to colour your mind happy!
Why? - Mindful Colouring is a ‘non-goal orientated’ activity and our brain recognises it as such. There is no expectation or outcome associated with it and combined with the predictable repetitive nature, pattern and detail involved is an extremely calming and relaxing on the mind. Some research has indicated colouring can induce similar effects to meditation.
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In addition to its calming effects, due to its creative qualities, Mindful Colouring has been shown to generate an improvement in problem-solving abilities, focus, vision and finemotor skills. Also, our heart rate can slow down which reduces stress and anxiety and improves our sleep.
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So embrace your inner child and enjoy colouring!
GRATITUDE DIARY
Gratitude diaries remind us of all the good things in our life.
When? - At the end of the day as you get ready for bed.
How? - Get yourself a notepad and a pen that feels good. Reflect on your day and write five things you are really grateful for. This could be a person, the sunshine, a fond memory or something that makes you unique that you’re grateful for - be really specific. Perhaps expand on the idea and take one of your five and really explore why you are grateful for it in particular, noting how it makes you feel emotionally.
Why? - We all have things to be happy about like good friends, a roof over our head and a satisfying job. However, when we get caught up in worry it is easy to focus on the negatives letting the positives fall into the background and vanish from our awareness.
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Setting aside a few minutes each day to reflect on what we are grateful for can illuminate all the good things we have in our life and bring them to the forefront, leading to a happier and more positive outlook on life. Done before bedtime, it helps the mind rest on the positives, resulting in a more restorative and refreshing night’s sleep.
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The benefits of gratitude practices include lower stress levels, a greater sense of calm, improved self-esteem and mental resilience. As you continue this journaling exercise you might also gain a fresh perspective and deeper understanding of what really makes you happy. With this insight you will be able to focus your time and energy on what is truly important to you.
SLEEP HYPNOSIS
This hypnosis recording focuses on hypnotic suggestions for deep, restful sleep.
When? - Once lying comfortably in bed.
How? - Close your eyes, think positively and go into a wonderful state of deep hypnotic relaxation and benefit from the hypnotic suggestions for restful sleep.
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Click HERE to play the Sleep Hypnosis recording.
Why? - After a busy and stressful day it is no wonder we can find ourselves laying in bed worrying about one thing or another. Our minds can easily get caught up in these unhelpful thoughts, especially at bedtime when we stop and become still.
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A racing, worried mind can make it very hard to fall asleep and get a full night’s rest. Sleep disturbances of this kind can not only lead to feeling tired and generally out of sorts the next day but also to us becoming anxious about sleep itself exacerbating the problem further.