Many people struggle to get access to mental health care.

Organisations that rely on charity and donations may not be able to support speakers, educators or professionals to come into their organisations for education and support.

BOGO offers businesses and individuals who would like to pay it forward - to donate some funds towards others less fortunate.

Say Hi to Helen Duyvestyn of One Life - Mental Health & Wellbeing Coach in New Zealand

Why do we need mental health coaching?

Our minds can be very complex little things, can't they?! We are all so hard on ourselves while putting every single person above our own needs - until we realise we have lost our own identity in pursuit of making everyone else happy.

We eat when we can, our sleep suffers, we run ourselves into the ground taking on anything and everything people ask of us, and we end up exhausted and feeling like something is wrong with us? Somewhere we lost the ability to say "no".

Sound familiar? Yes, we hear you. I hear you!

I was talking to a friend recently. We were discussing where we both were in life. With my wonderful ‘depression’ snapping at my heals and the revolution of what seems like 100’s past wounds come to inflict my soul, he reflected how, two marriages down, he felt as if he was living life leaving a(n) (unintentional) trail of destruction behind him.

Which reminded me of the saying; “we are all a little broken”.

And that we are also doing the best that we can. And then the discussion of; would we do things any different? Can we do anything now that might change the outcome?

We are such unperfect beings. We make decisions, take chances, make choices. Some of which work out for the best. Some leave us wondering how on earth we got to where we got and scrambling to try and put things together again, to plaster the cracks, to put salve on the wounds.

While our first approach to our mental health should come from lifestyle adjustments - focusing on our food, sleep and movement - we may also need extra support.

We may not want to take medication because we don’t feel our symptoms are bad enough, we’ve tried medication in the past and didn’t find it helpful or we simply want short-term support to help us get on top of things.

Below is a list of the most important blood tests for mental health. This list is by no means exhaustive - but it is a good start to rule out some basic deficiencies or other causes for poor mood, energy or anxiety.

Please note: blood tests are a moment in time. Some of these levels (such as TSH) may fluctuate daily and even at different times of the day. Discuss the results with your doctor and have them re-tested if necessary.

Remember - everyone is an individual! There is not one solution to depression, anxiety or other mental health issues.

Are you a GP, nurse or other health professional struggling with your current position within the medical model?

There's an awakening (without being woke) from the general public and healthcare professionals that maybe there is more to medicine than what we have been led to believe.

And this is causing a gentle, but fast passed uprising from people who want better knowledge, better prevention and better, safer forms of treatment.

And some physicians and nurses and wondering 'Where does this leave me?'

Find it a struggle to exercise? I have good news!

I recently listened to a book called “No Sweat” by Michelle Segar.

Another coach had recommended it.

I had a belief for a very long time about exercise -.we’re often made to believe that exercise has to be:

• Hard

• Uncomfortable

• Sweat inducing

• Something you ‘do’

But actually, unless you are training or want to achieve a specific goal, exercise didn’t need to be uncomfortable, difficult or even ‘exercise’. In fact, it’s everyday movement that is important when it comes to physical and mental health.

Did you know there is no physical test to diagnose mental health issues?

There are some biological markers that have been associated with poorer mental well-being (depression and anxiety for example).

Because the way we feel mentally - is highly governed by our physical body - sometimes we feel 'low' due to a physical cause (hormones anyone??).

Physical illness causes us to want to withdraw, not be social and have low energy.

What is the relationship between gut health and mental health?

How do we understand IBS?

How does the microbiome impact mental health?

IBS can be triggered by many different things, including poor digestion, dietary triggers or food sensitivities, lack of digestive enzymes, hypochlorhydria (low stomach acid), gut dysbiosis (an abnormal balance of bacteria, viruses or fungi in the gut), thyroid issues, stress, parasites…

Therefore the diagnosis of ‘IBS’ or undiagnosed gut issue require further investigation.