Physical activity is often an effective, tangible way you can help to support your mental health. Science has proven its benefits, and from stress-busting and tension control to boosting your mood, exercise is good for you, all round.

And at Christmas, when the stresses of the season can often overwhelm us, it’s a great idea to take a break and get out into the fresh air to drink in its invigorating goodness.

Whether you prefer walking, running, cycling, swimming or even armchair aerobics, there are myriad ways to keep active, even if your mobility is restricted.

AMH’s Aileen McClenaghan is among those of us who likes to get active doing something a little bit different – beachcombing!

Beachcombing – which involves scouring the beach side and surrounding area for its natural inhabitants and the flotsam and jetsam that gathers along and around the waterline – is one way Aileen keeps her body active and her mind invigorated.

Aileen writes a regular blog and here in excerpts below, she explains what it is about beachcombing that has her returning to the shoreline again and again.

“It’s great to get out in nature, it’s good for our mood, our immune system and for our fitness. Being by the sea energises me. It shakes off any tiredness, invigorates my senses and quietens my mind. I can wake up early and head straight to the beach, for a pre-work walk, I can take a more leisurely ramble along the coastal path of an evening, or I can be out by the sea anytime in between. I love looking at the natural light, the colours, the cloud formations.

“I walk, I breathe in the fresh air and I look around me. I see things which belong, and things which don’t. My eyes have become accustomed to spotting the unusual amongst the familiar colours and shapes of our shores. I started noticing sea-glass pebbles; small pieces of glass, smoothed and shaped by decades in the sea. Then, I would find ceramic pieces, also smoothed by the tumbling seas. I became fascinated by the beauty of these imposters and there began my beachcombing in earnest.     

“I use sea-glass and sea-pottery creatively; mostly making pictures of people and animals. Sometimes, I can pick up a piece of sea-glass and be sure it’s a head, or a pottery piece and know it will be a dress. Porcelain cup handles become dogs’ tails, clay pipe stems become trousers, bottle necks become lighthouses. The sea has allowed me to be creative and has provided me with tides of jigsaw pieces. Each piece is unique. I love the thrill of finding vintage and rare sea glass & pottery, researching the history, if I can. I know that turquoise glass is rarer than cobalt blue, that black glass is rarely black… and if it’s blackcurrant black, then that’s treasure! Red seaglass sometimes comes from ships’ lights, pink sea glass often comes from cheap dinnerware, mass-produced during the Great Depression era. I’ve found sea-smoothed ceramic fragments of Hartley’s marmalade jars from the Aintree factory, pre- WW1 telegraph pole ceramic insulators, Victorian bottle stoppers, Codd marbles and Cornishware-range pottery, which I remember from my great-grandmother’s tableware. It’s fascinating stuff.  

  “In the strangest year we’ve possibly had, connecting with nature can help shore up our mental health. No pun intended. Remember when two orcas came up into Strangford Lough? Nature thrives when human activity slows down and the appearance of these orcas was precisely at a time when we couldn’t leave the house, except to exercise. Collectively there was a real buzz of excitement. We wanted to protect them, to help them with safe passage back out into deeper waters and maybe to find out a bit more about these two bulls and their back-story.

“Connections with our seas don’t need to be so grand though. There’s probably a collective noun for beachcombers. Maybe a neckache of beachcombers, or a wave of. Undeniably, there’s a huge element of mindfulness in beachcombing and being by the sea. You are outside and connected with nature; feeling the weather, listening, looking and focusing on one task, without distractions if you’re lucky. No two days by the sea are the same and it’s never tedious. See you at the beach.    

You can read the full blog here: https://www.facebook.com/WhatTheSeaSaw

If you can’t do something whimsical at Christmas, when can you? Especially this Christmas, which comes at a time when the world has been gripped by worries related to the pandemic.

AMH’s Linsey Blair has embraced the season by getting an Elf on the Shelf, and ever since, has been enjoying “something a bit daft” with her fiancée. Naming him ‘Walshy McWalshface, the Good Mental Elf’, the little seasonal sprite gives the couple a regular, daily chuckle – and at the same time acts as a catalyst to improve their collective mental health.

“Seeing Walshy McWalshface everyday gives us a reminder that we need to do at least one thing to improve our mental health. Sometimes, it’s a walk down the pier with the dogs, as we are lucky to live by the sea, or cooking a nice meal together. It can even mean just watching something on TV together, that gives us a laugh – but it helps us to stay in a good place.

“During this semi-lockdown scenario, the elf prompts us to focus on happy things and keep us strong!” she said.

The world-renowned Mayo Clinic says that not only does laughter activate and relieve people’s stress responses and soothes tension, in the short term, it also can, in the longer term, relieve pain, improve people’s mood and even help their immune system.

Festive mementos mark year’s highlights

Every year, AMH New Life Counselling’s Elaine Gormley buys a Christmas tree decoration or bauble that marks something important that has taken place that year. Elaine explains:

“If I was on holiday, I’d buy something that has that particular place name on it, as a lovely reminder of my trip. When we got our first dog, I bought a personalised dog decoration for her and when we moved into our house I bought a decoration depicting a house. So now, every year, when it comes that time to put up our tree, these decorations are a great way of being reminded of happy memories and events.”

Elaine also likes to hang fresh holly in the house.

“I like to hang the holly on top of picture frames, then on January 6th, when the time comes to pack all the festive decorations down for another year, we put the holly in the fireplace and take a moment to make a wish for the year ahead. It’s a gesture that is also all about letting go of any negativity from the previous year. We light the holly and all the negativity goes up the chimney and we are left with good intentions for the year ahead.”

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Jamie McNulty from the AMH Our Generation Team shows us a fun way to spread some happiness to your loved ones, as this year we could all do with a little extra kindness and cheer!

Today some of our staff have been recommending their favourite Christmas Movies

Elaine Gormley, a counsellor in AMH New Life Counselling:-

I love Christmas but understand it is also a very challenging time. I have a few traditions that I do every year that really make me feel good.

Every year I normally go to the Queen’s Film Theatre (might have to watch it at home this year) to see It’s a Wonderful Life.

If you haven’t watched It’s A Wonderful Life, we’ll try not to spoil it for you but it is a story of hope, redemption and kindness, which teaches us that having someone there for you, when you need it the most, is one of the greatest gifts you can receive.

Although the film premiered in 1946 and initially wasn’t considered a Christmas film – director Frank Capra told The Wall Street Journal, ‘I didn’t even think of it as a Christmas story when I first ran across it. I just liked the idea’ – it has become a staple of Christmas television in the 72 years since.

The film also focuses on the lead character’s struggle with mental health and suicidal thoughts. It’s A Wonderful Life doesn’t shy away from the truth that while Christmas is the most magical time of the year for some, for others it can be daunting, scary and miserable.

But the thoroughly festive and happy ending is guaranteed to bring a tear to your eye!

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues, and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123.

Catherine from our Belfast service reminds us of what Charles Dickens had to say

With that in mind she recommends that you spread some laughter this Christmas by sharing films like The Muppet’s Christmas Carol with family and friends.

A retelling of the classic Dickens tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, miser extraordinaire. He is held accountable for his dastardly ways during night-time visitations by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and future. Michael Caine plays the old miser Scrooge with Kermit as his long-suffering but ever-hopeful employee Bob Cratchit, and Miss Piggy as Cratchit’s wife. Definitely a movie which deserves a place among the family classics of the festive season!

Catherine also recommends “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”.

“The Grinch reminds us of the importance of taking notice of who and what we are thankful for at Christmas”.

in the words of the Grinch –

Danielle Davy, one of our counsellors from AMH New Colin Counselling, has a great idea! This year Danielle will be buying a book for a friend and delivering it early on Christmas Eve. In return she will also receive a book to read that day.

Christmas Eve can be quite a stressful day for many – prepping the turkey, buying last minute presents, running around visiting relatives – but as we know this year will be different. Many of us will be having smaller gatherings, so with not as many spuds to peel and visting being limited, perhaps this is the year to have a calmer Christmas Eve, where you can relax by the fire, and read a book by the light of the Christmas Tree! Danielle will be hoping to surprise her friend this year with a book she has never read and is looking forward to seeing what she will be receiving! Let us know what books you will be gifting this year and which ones you are hoping will be in your stocking!!

Reading has been found to be hugely beneficial for our mental health.

Reading a book can be one of life’s biggest joys, and can also be a way of coping with the difficult times in life, like loneliness or bereavement or indeed life in lockdown. 

According to research from Oxford University Press, reading “challenging language” sends “rocket boosters” to our brains, which in turn boosts our mental health. “Books can take you to a different place. They can relax you and calm you, and they can offer wisdom, or humour, or both.”

Sydney Timmins is a writer and founder of the Mental Health Book Club Podcast. Here are her top eight mental health benefits of reading:

1. Reading is pleasurable

When you start to read a really good book it is often hard to put it down, the story captivates you and time disappears as you become absorbed. When you reach the end, you feel sad because it is over, or you are so eager to get the next book in the series you are emailing the author daily! It is a magical feeling and choosing to read a book can provide a number of other benefits.

2. Reading can reduce stress

Losing yourself in a good book has been shown to reduce your levels of stress. Research by Dr David Lewis showed that reading as little as six minutes a day can reduce stress levels by 60% by reducing your heart rate, easing muscle tension and altering your state of mind. That same study showed that reading was better at reducing stress than music, drinking a cup of tea, going for a walk and playing video games.

3. Reading can provide an escape from the ‘real world’

Closely linked to reducing stress levels when you read is the ability to escape from the real world. I did this a lot as a child as a coping mechanism to dealing with the emotional hurt I experienced from my family. I often become immersed in that world and helped me to forget my worries.

4. Reading helps you develop empathy for others

People who read fiction have been shown to improve their level of empathy, the ability to understand someone else’s belief’s, feelings and thoughts.

5. Reading works your brain and prevents memory loss

Participating in cognitive activities, such as reading over your life time (both early and later in life) was shown to slow down memory loss when compared to those who didn’t participate in mentally stimulating activities. The same study also found that the rate of mental decline was reduced by 32% when people participated in reading, writing and other activities later on in life. While those with infrequent stimulating activity found that their decline was 48% faster than those with average activity.

6. Reading groups help to treat mental health issues

My default for when I’m feeling low is to read but there is actually scientific research that shows that reading and then talking about what you have read could be beneficial to mental health and well-being. There is something called bibliotherapy and it has a profound effect on people suffering with depression.

7. Reading helps teenagers develop insights into being an adult

Becoming an adult can be tricky – a lot of things change during this time and exploring self-identity is crucial. Research has shown that reading for pleasure in teenagers has three key benefits, reading was shown to enhance academic performance, social engagement and personal development. Fiction helped teens by providing significant insights into mature relationships, personal values and cultural identity all of which are important in the transition from being a child to becoming an adult.

8. Reading can make you smarter

I often feel smarter after reading books, I learn new things, experience different cultures, understand myself better and research has shown that reading does in fact make us smarter. Cognitive differences have been seen between those who read a lot and those who read a little. People who are exposed to more written information are associated with higher vocabulary, general knowledge, and verbal skills.

You can follow Sydney Timmins on Twitter, and listen to the Mental Health Book Club podcast on their website.