Entrepreneur, Senior Leader & Ecosystem Builder with a degrees in Music, Psychology, Digital Mgmt & Transformation. Co-founder of the Music Factory and Earkick. Life-long learner with a deep passion for people, mental health and outdoor sports.
Are you aged 16-30? Are you at school, university or working? Do you feel worried, stressed or anxious? Perhaps you are feeling lonely and don’t want to tell anyone yet. This week, as we raise awareness of mental health, we invite you to recognise the symptoms and try some selfcare to do something about it.
Your feelings are valid and you are not alone. “One in four of us will experience a mental health problem each year” says Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of Mind, a leading mental health charity. If you are often feeling nervous, panicky, overwhelmed, out of control or finding it difficult to concentrate, it may be time to get support.
Selfcare 101: How to you know if you are anxious
You can begin to feel anxious from a range of causes and it can create a variety of feelings both physiologically and psychologically. Sometimes anxiety can present itself physically, such as a low appetite or stomach cramps, having a dry mouth, feeling faint or trembling or hot, or even your heart beating faster than usual.
Perhaps you focus on the future instead of the present, or suffer from a lack of being at peace with yourself or not being happy with where you are now. Fears and constant worrying can impact your mental health. If any of these symptoms are affecting your daily life you can talk to your mental health professional who can suggest treatments. You can also start some self-care: read this short post about what you need to ask yourself about anxiety.
The issue with mental health is that it can quickly spiral out of control if you don’t get on top of it. If you think it will all be okay and leave it to its own devices then you may develop some addictions. This could be anything from being heavily dependent on a person to relying on drugs or alcohol to make you feel like yourself again. If this happens then it might be time to contact an addiction treatment center. They will have a variety of programs and solutions available to help you.
Take the first step towards improving your wellbeing
Recognising that you need help is a good start to helping manage your anxiety. Getting help early gives you the best chance to make a difference to improve your mental health long term. There are some great resources available from the likes of Mind, The Mental Health Foundation and Young Minds. More on what self care means for you here.
You will undoubtedly read many posts about how to improve your wellbeing. From being in nature, to regular exercise and a healthy diet. Have you tried improving your sleep patterns but not sure how? Or want to track mood swings but don’t fancy a diary?
This week, we would like you to trust us and choose our conscious content to help you find your happiness. Stop doom scrolling and take a moment out of your day to be mindful. Taking time to breathe consciously is proven to help reset your flight, fright or freeze response.
Today we invite you calm down with us as we lead you through a 60 second practice:
- Select the soundscape – we chose a meditation with Ocean Dream – music of the sea and waves.
- We then selected a 1 minute calm down breathing exercise.
- There is soft haptic feedback so you can close your eyes as you are guided through the breath stages of inhale for 4, hold for 1, out for 8.
- Repeat 6 cycles.
- Notice how you feel.
- If you would like to continue, select repeat or click done to finish.
- If you would like to unlock more breathwork and natural sounds to accompany your day, download the free Earkick app and log it as completing a goal for today.
Your new mental health sidekick!
Earkick gives you the space to log your mental health goals and to check in with your feelings once a day this week.Then on Sunday we will round up with a reflection. We are going to share personal stories and helpful tips so follow us on Instagram and Twitter to get the latest.
Because you are not alone, and millions of us experience anxiety, we have developed an app to help you track how you feel. It will help you to reflect on what makes you feel anxious and what leads to feeling happy. It’s completely anonymous; your data is yours. We don’t have any ads in the app. And it’s free of charge for early members! Download the free AI chatbot app to talk to and get started right away.
Here’s what’s in for you:
1. You have real time insights into your mental health in your pocket ✨
2. It’s your ultra private phone journal 🔐 which keeps you on track through your wellness journey
3. You can empower yourself to feel better through guided sessions and short breathing exercises – which you can do anywhere – in your safe space or on the move.. Your app knows when you need help based on the info you have given and provides simple, personalised and effective actions in real time
Don’t just listen to us. We have hundreds of users who have shared their experiences (which we always anonymise, of course.)
Get your mental health sidekick on the Apple store for free here.
Earkick is the world’s first anxiety tracker placing you in the driving seat of your pathway to happiness. You input your own data in the way that feels more natural to you via talking or typing. Start your wellness journey today!
