Mental Wealth: Because You're Worth It

Rachel Weiss will be chairing a discussion on “Mental Wealth: because you’re worth it” at the Perth WOW Festival on September 29th 2018. Twenty one years ago she founded Rowan Consultancy, helping people lead more satisfying lives through counselling, coaching, mediation and training.

Consider this: in the past few weeks Serena Williams has been making headlines for various reasons. In some, she has been  talking about her mental wellbeing and how she nurtures that. 

“I like communication best. Talking things through with my mom, my sisters, my friends lets me know that my feelings are totally normal.”

“I like communication best. Talking things through with my mom, my sisters, my friends lets me know that my feelings are totally normal.”

Friends often talk about how they take care of their physical wellbeing: discussing the latest healthy eating fads or effective ways to exercise These are acceptable, even laudable, topics of conversation, but how often do we talk about how we care for our mental wellbeing?

Twenty years ago it was considered strange to go to the gym or talk about cycling. These were niche hobbies. That has changed now; we’re all aware of the need to look after our physical health - and there’s an emerging awareness of the need to care for our mental health too.

Pause for a moment and consider how you nurture your mental wellbeing. It’s useful to know what works for you, so that when you notice your mood is low or your anxiety is high, you have some coping strategies to hand.

Gender differences

Serena was talking about her mental wellbeing in the context of motherhood and having been through a traumatic birth last year.

Although overall rates of psychiatric disorder are almost identical for both genders, women have higher rates for depression and anxiety, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

There is a strong link between depression and gender inequality. Women often have lower rank at work, less secure jobs, and hence less secure housing and more chronic stressors.  Gender stereotypes encourage women to put others first, to be accommodating and dependent; women are often expected to take on caring for relatives and do the majority of chores in the home. These factors all contribute to depression.

Experiencing violence or trauma also makes us more prone to depression. Women are more likely to experience trauma, through gender based violence and childbirth and are often more affected by civil war, natural disasters and displacement.

On the plus side, women are also generally better at accessing support, and at building social networks, which increases their resilience. They often hold families and communities together during difficult times. Think about the resilient women you know, who have kept themselves and others going through hardship.

GALLERY

Ways to nurture your mental wellbeing

• Take time for yourself
• Build positive relationships
• Ask for help, if you need it
• Exercise
• Get outdoors
• Realise that you have choices, however limited, and use them.

So consider what choices you have today: to call a friend, to go outside, to be active, what to eat for lunch, which music to listen to. And make a conscious choice, exercising your autonomy.

These tips help nurture our mental wellbeing, but if you think that you may have a mental health issue, consult a professional. People chronically under-report their mental health issues.

Let’s start conversations around how we look after our mental wellbeing, so that it becomes as acceptable as talking about how we look after our physical wellbeing.

References

BBC Sport Aug 7^th 2018 Serena Williams says motherhood struggles led to Rogers Cup withdrawal. Accessed August 11th 2018

World Health Organization. Gender Disparities in Mental Health.  Geneva: World Health Organization. Accessed August 11st 2018

Mind: How to improve your mental wellbeing. Accessed August 11^th 2018

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We are so excited to be welcoming the inspirational Rachel Weiss to Women of the World festival 2018. Last year she founded Menopause Cafe, a charity which helps create conversations about the menopause. You can follow her tweets on @Rowan_Rachel

Rachel will be chairing the "Mental Wealth: Because You're Worth It" panel disucussion on Saturday 29th of September. Hear from panelists Dr Eve Hepburn, founder of online magazine "Fearless Femme", Louise Johnstone, organiser of the Heart Tay Heart Festival andd Tomiwa Folorunso from The Young Women's Movement as they share what they have done to positivley impact their mental well-being and discuss how we can challenge the stigma and shame around women's mental health.

#WOWPERTH takes place this weekend Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th of September. 

Mental Wealth: Because You're Worth It takes place on Saturday 29th of September * 1pm - 2pm * Joan Kinght Studio and is Part Of Pass

You can click here to purchase your weekend Women of the world pass now 

check out the full Women of the world festival Programme here.