It’s all in the mind – or is it?

This week marks Mental Health Awareness Week where the spotlight is on our mental wellbeing. So, I thought it might be appropriate to share with you some of my top tips for dealing with stress and looking after our own wellbeing. When we talk about being mentally ill, we assume that it is all in the mind but in fact mental illness affects our whole being: body, mind, and spirit. To maintain our mental health, we need to look after our physically, emotionally and spiritually.

  My mantra is always, ‘It’s all about balance.’ Here are the things that work for me. I certainly don’t always get them right but when I do, I can feel the difference. What helps you will be specific to you but I hope my sharing what works for me may be of some help. 

Exercise: There is no getting away from it. Exercise must be the number one stress buster. Doing physical exercise of any kind bumps up the production of endorphins in our brains, sometimes called the happy hormone. At my age (55), I have plenty of hormones that are not so happy, so this one certainly needs fostering. You don’t have to be sporty to do physical exercise. A walk in the park or along the beach, a bike ride or some relaxing chair yoga does the trick. Due to my butterfly personality, I need a variety of different forms of exercise to keep me motivated. Walking Ianto, my 5-year-old cocker spaniel is my favourite form of exercise, particularly first thing in the morning and preferably when it’s not raining! I also do a 45-minute bootcamp 2-3 times a week, which I often have to force myself to do but always feel better for it. I like variety so I also take classes in yoga and Pilates. I was a late comer to yoga – only starting it in my late 40s and wish I’d discovered it years ago, particularly when my kids were younger. It’s a practice that heals your spiritual, emotional and physical being.

Morning is the best part of the day: Research suggests that whether someone is a morning lark, or a night owl is related to their circadian rhythms or their ‘internal clock’ and that around 47% of this is genetic. I am most definitely a morning person and know that I am far more productive before 12pm than after. If I have an important piece of work to complete, then I will schedule to do it as early as possible. I try to keep my ‘sacred hour’ between 7am -8am when I can. This is where I meditate and journal. I’m not pretending that this happens every day but it is something I really value when I make time for it. But perhaps you prefer a different time of day. All I know is that if I didn’t get up early then I would begin to feel sluggish, and my mental health would suffer. This also ensures I get my ‘me time’ as my husband is more of a night owl.

Me time: I really wish I’d discovered the importance of ‘me time’ earlier in my life but I think it’s hard to do when you have young children and are working full time. One of the joys of being a freelance consultant is that I have more control over my time and now setting aside ‘me time’ is not negotiable.

Immersing myself in nature: All three of the above come together for me when I am outside in nature. I am truly fortunate to live in a lovely part of the world, in Llandeilo with the Towy River running by. It takes me only 5 minutes to walk into the beautiful Dinefwr estate where I walk every morning with Ianto. I’m just on my way now to do this. I feel at my most spiritual when I am in a forest, by the sea or up a mountain. It is here that I feel closest to my authentic self. One of my favourite places in the world is St Davids Peninsula in Pembrokeshire. I love walking the coastal path, looking out for seals and other wildlife. We were there last weekend and the sky was azure blue and the sea an emerald green. Just perfect!

Meditation: For those of you who know me, you will not be surprised that meditation is in my top tips for wellbeing. Finding space in the day to centre oneself and be still in the present moment is something that is vital for me. Prayer and meditation have been a large part of my life for an exceptionally long time, and now such an integral part of me, that I can’t imagine life without them. There is an increasing body of research on the effects of meditation, and it suggests that it alleviates stress, improves concentration, and induces sleep. I think some people are a little wary of meditation or concerned that they won’t be able to do it, but I encourage you to just give it a go. There is no right or wrong way and the more you practice it the more beneficial it will be.  I run an online free 20-minute meditation at 8.30am on a Thursday morning. If you want to give it a go then just email me for the link (mandywilliamsconsulting@gmail.com).

These are my top tips for beating stress and maintaining good mental health but of course there are lots of other things I try to do with varying levels of success such as spending time with friends, listening to music, restricting usage of my phone, only drinking alcohol on weekends, eating well and of course writing. I often don’t do these thing  but that’s ok too. Being kind to yourself is also important and sometimes nothing else will do but sitting down with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine and binge watching a really good drama on TV!

I’d love to hear your top tips so please share them with me.

Mandy Williams

09.05.25