Unlock better mental health with these 5 approaches for lifelong learning

We could all benefit from being better educated around mental health, especially while there is so much stigma around mental health and illness. One of the key focuses in my work is helping people to learn more about mental health in a digestible, helpful, and sustainable way. 

Commit to supporting your own mental wellbeing as well as the people around you, by taking on these 5 approaches for lifelong learning.

Read up on some credible organisations’ websites. 

I recommend checking out:

• Butterfly Foundation (for body image and eating disorder info)

• Beyond Blue (for depression & anxiety)

• SANE Australia (for complex mental illness including psychosis and personality disorders).

Each of these leading bodies publishes all sorts of useful and interesting information about each of their niche areas - meaning you can get a really comprehensive understanding! There’s heaps more out there, but those are a few of my favourites!

Attend a Mental Health First Aid Training

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is the help provided to someone developing a mental health problem, experiencing the worsening of an already existing mental health problem, or is in a mental health related crisis. I like to think of it as CPR for the mind!

If you’re in Australia, I can help you with MHFA but if you’re tuning in from anywhere else in the world, find out about your country’s MHFA program here.

If you’re strapped for time or keen to start your learning journey ASAP, you might like to check out the online, on-demand courses that I’ve created about a number of mental health topics. While MHFA is the most comprehensive, and - in my opinion - best course to do in mental health, these short courses are a great alternative to get you started!

Make a mental health plan

Around a quarter of Australians aged 16–85 experienced a mental health condition in 2020–21. Getting back to the basics of good health— prioritising sleep, adequately fuelling your body, engaging in a healthy lifestyle and maintaining positive relationships—can help safeguard your wellbeing. Creating a care plan is a great idea for anyone and everyone.

Your mental health plan should list out:

• Warning signs that your mental health is deteriorating. During these times, what do you notice about your mood and behaviour? These may also be the usual signs for common mental health disorders like anxiety or depression, or if you’ve previously been mentally ill, you might also like to include what that looked like for you in particular. 

• Triggers that could cause your mental health to decline. This will be different for everyone, but things like added pressures, relationship issues, or financial stress are common triggers for many.

• Strategies to implement when you’re not feeling like yourself. List out the things you can do to help improve your situation; this could be everything from making time outdoors in nature a priority, to booking an appointment with a healthcare professional.

• Support networks you can lean on. Map out the key people, resources and organisations you can turn to when you’re feeling unwell. 

Watch lived experience videos

One of the best ways to learn more about mental health is to hear from people who have experienced mental health challenges and learn how they got through it. I recommend checking out batyr as they’re the experts in lived experience storytelling and have got some inspiring stories to share! 

Read up on the latest research

Most of the larger organisations (like Butterfly Foundation, Beyond Blue, Blackdog Institute etc) post regular blogs and research in their respective fields, so they’re often a great place to start. But you can also do a regular search on Google Scholar and even subscribe to some mental health research journals!

I hope this has shown you that learning about mental health doesn’t need to be a daunting task.

Will you be implementing any of these 5 approaches for learning more about mental health?