Days like the 10th September, where we acknowledge mental health through initiatives like RUOK? Day, World Suicide Awareness Day, and World Hat Day are important in our communities and workplaces as the quality of our mental health affects every aspect of our lives. It is important to note though, that once the day is over, continuing to check in with others (and ourselves) is vital for maintaining mindsets and habits that promote well-being and move us towards healthy lifestyles.

Mental health encompasses our emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing and as such it affects how we think, feel; and behave. This means it affects how we function in our relationships, in daily and work-related tasks, it helps determine how we handle stress, how we relate to ourselves, and how we make choices. In 2019, the Australian Bureau of Statistics released data that showed one in five Australians (that is five million people) experience mental health challenges in any given year. Whilst this means 80% of us are usually doing ‘ok’, the quality of our mental health is on a continuum and it is variable.

Similar to our physical health, our mental health is something that can be improved or hindered over time by things like our environment, experiences, and the things we do (or don’t do) to look after it. It can also be largely impacted by our coping style (i.e. how we handle stress).

Our coping style can be adaptive or maladaptive, that is, it can either help us towards our goals and a healthy lifestyle or hinder us reaching our goals and living in a manner we see as desirable.

So, what are adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies?

Adaptive coping strategies generally involve confronting problems directly and being mindful of our emotional reactions to avoid adverse effects on those around us and to our health. Aside from direct problem solving, adaptive strategies might look like practising mindfulness or gratitude, exercising, talking to others, writing/journaling, helping others, or even using humour.

In contrast, maladaptive coping strategies generally involve attempting to avoid or escape painful emotions or problems, for example, through overeating or substance abuse using alcohol or drugs. It is well understood that these maladaptive ways of coping have the potential to seriously harm our health and wellbeing. However, they also correlate to having an external locus of control (meaning we believe we do not have control over what happens to us, that we are a victim of people or circumstances). This outlook, in turn, further eats away at our sense of being able to cope, producing an addictive cycle which can drastically shorten lives and/or places a considerable burden on families and public services. This is important because in 2018 alone, 3000 people lost their lives to suicide, 1300 people lost their lives to alcohol-induced deaths and 1700 people to drug-induced deaths, with substance abuse accounting for around 12% of the disease burden in Australia.

What can we do?

Supporting healthy lifestyles and providing access to adaptive coping strategies are just some of the ways we can help encourage those around us (and ourselves) to adopt helpful coping mechanisms when life starts hurling curveballs.

Having meaningful social support also buffers the impact of stressful life events, providing help and comfort, as well as a sounding board for evaluating and managing stressful situations. As a workplace or community, we can encourage meaningful social support by building on mental health awareness promoted by days like RUOK? Day. When we proactively incorporate this awareness into our everyday lives, we can begin to actively and regularly observe how those around us are doing and initiate meaningful conversations.

Additionally, practising mindfulness can help buffer against stress whilst also supporting and strengthening meaningful social connections. Mindfulness is simply about being present in a given moment and can help us become aware of our thoughts and the power of choosing to accept or reject them. This allows us to focus realistically on solutions and actions that will make a difference, rather than being hijacked by worry or rumination. This, in turn, lessens our experience of stress and anxiety, giving us a better chance of reacting calmly and empathetically when faced with stress or challenges. For those who perceive a lack of social connection, mindfulness can also significantly reduce social anxiety, whilst improving self-compassion and optimism. This results in one being less likely to evaluate social situations as threatening, practice better self-care and use adaptive coping strategies that focus on problem-solving.

As we acknowledge and promote days like RUOK? Day (in a year that has most certainly hurled a few curve balls) let us continue to aim towards cultivating a culture which supports and encourages adaptive coping strategies in our workplaces and communities. In doing so, we can shore-up our collective ability to bounce back in times of adversity, while individually moving towards our goals and a healthier overall lifestyle.

Further Reading

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2018). National Health Survey: First Results, 2017-18, Australia, 2018, (Catalogue No. 4364.0.55.001 ). Retrieved from https://bit.ly/3f7FtF7

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2019). Causes of Death, Australia, 2018, (Catalogue No. 3303.0). Retrieved from https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/mf/3303.0

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2020). Burden of Disease. Retrieved from https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/burden-of-disease

Davis, D. M. & Hayes, J. A. (2012). What are the benefits of mindfulness. APA journal Psychotherapy, 48(2). Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/07-08/ce-corner.

Jorm, A. F. (2012). Mental health literacy: Empowering the community to take action for better mental health. American Psychologist, 67(3), 231-243. http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.lib.swin.edu.au/10.1037/a0025957

Miller. D. K. (2020). 14 Health Benefits of Practicing Gratitude According to Science. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/3fDFn7L