WHAT IS MENTAL HEALTH?

“Mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which every individual realises their own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively, and enables sound decision making and informed choices” states The World Health Organisation.

Paying attention to our mental health 
What mental health means
Myths about mental health 
Links between mental and physical health 
Resilience and why it matters

Paying attention to our mental health

Your mental health, and how you experience this, is individual to you.

Looking after and paying attention to your mental health, as you do your physical health, is key to your well-being and your ability to be the best you can be.

We often pay little or no attention to it until we experience change of some kind. 

This is often due to external factors; people, situations, either a one-off or over a period of time. For example: 

THERE’S A CRISIS ON THE YARD The vet’s coming. The farrier’s arrived for routine shoeing. Owners are arriving to watch their horses being worked but one groom’s off sick and the other’s still mucking out, and your mobile battery has just died. Some employers might feel overwhelmed, frustrated, unable to cope, or even in a state of panic - negatively affecting well-being. Equally, others may be motivated, energised even, switching seamlessly into ‘crisis management’ mode, overcoming the situation, demonstrating resilience, and realising their capabilities – positively boosting well-being.

Thinking about the business Plans, ideas and initiatives for running a ‘smart’ yard to keep costs down might mean some employers feel overwhelmed, worried, confused or anxious etc – negatively affecting well-being. Equally, others may find this positively challenging, motivating even exciting about determining what’s possible and the potential cost effectiveness, impact and success of the business – positively boosting well-being.

Thinking about something else Having ‘something on our mind’, particularly over a period of time, can affect our mental health and thus our well-being too. For example, a poorly loved one, a personal matter or feeling swamped by numerous and varying employment matters when all you want to do is run your yard.

WHAT MENTAL HEALTH MEANS

It’s about your emotional, psychological, physiological, and social well-being. It helps determine how you handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. It impacts:

• How you function on a daily basis; how you think, feel, behave and act.
• Your performance and ability to do your job, run your yard, ride your horses, your problem-solving skills.
• Your confidence, resilience - your bounce back-ability.
• Your potential to be the best you can be.
• Your ability to learn…. from your mistakes, experiences and cope with and manage change and uncertainty.

It affects how you communicate, your ability to form, and maintain, relationships with others and, therefore, impacts on those around you; your grooms, riders, owners, suppliers, and the horses. 

WHAT IT DOESN'T MEAN 

Mental ill health or illness.

Many consciously, sub-consciously or unconsciously think of mental health issues, problems or illnesses when mental health is mentioned.

This connection, association, is something that’s changing.  

DE-BUNKING MYTHS ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH

MENTAL HEALTH ONLY AFFECTS A FEW PEOPLE

YOU WILL NEVER GET BETTER OR IMPROVE IF YOU HAVE MENTAL ILLNESS

PEOPLE WITH A MENTAL ILLNESS CAN JUST ‘SNAP OUT OF IT’

TAKING MEDICATION IS RUNNING AWAY FROM YOUR PROBLEMS

LINKS BETWEEN MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH

Much like horses, if one is, or becomes, an ‘anxious’ horse, ulcers and other physical conditions are often present, and we see behaviour changes.

Similarly, a symptom of grass sickness can be distress, depression.

Long term box rest can impact a horse’s mental well-being, their temperament and needs careful management. 

Like horses, everyone is different; has their own unique set of  indicators, known as our non-verbal communications, our ‘personal clues and cues’.

MENTAL HEALTH IMPACTING ON PHYSICAL HEALTH

It’s important to note that poor mental health is not ‘just in the mind’. 

These are some of the symptoms linked to mental health issues, not indicators of a mental health issues on their own.

Each person will react differently, and may experience very different symptoms, and some may occur without our knowing.

PHYSICAL HEALTH IMPACTING ON MENTAL HEALTH

It’s often far easier to deal with a physical injury, disability or illness. For example, you tear shoulder ligaments in a nasty fall.

This means you need to arrange full or part time cover depending on what you can/cannot do.

Being unable to work as usual, potentially worrying about how the yard will run without you, your horses’ work and how they might be with a different rider, could affect your well-being.

However, some physical conditions or long-term injuries can take a huge toll on our mental health, especially when we’re trying to continue working as usual, and managing the illness or injury.

Depending on your incapacity, feelings such as isolated, frustration, distressed, overwhelmed, helpless may creep in and, unaddressed, affect our mental health.

Medication for a physical illness can sometimes affect mental health and/or mood too. Careful medication management is needed.

That’s why it’s important when we have a physical health condition or injury, we take mental health into consideration when thinking about what’s the best course of action to take, including whether some extra support is needed, and accepting offers of support.

RESILIENCE, AND WHY IT MATTERS

It’s your capacity and ability to recover, to withstand, to bounce-back from disappointments, difficulties, challenges, adversity and setbacks.

It’s a skill you can learn, develop and grow to manage everyday living. Simply put, it’s ‘R’ words, which speak for themselves:  

Rest, recuperate, re-energise, resolve, restore, recover, refresh, renew, re-group, reinvigorate, repair, relax, respite, retreat, re-establish, revive, rejuvenate, recharge, revitalise, reframe, resolute.

It matters because there’s links between resilience and our ‘state’ [of mind] and our mood, attitude and our ability to manage/perform - personally and professionally.  So, it:

• facilitates self-accountability. You’re in charge of your behaviour, thoughts, reactions, emotions. 
• enhances your ability to make things happen rather than them happening to you.
• enables you to stay on top of things, manage them as they occur, meaning you’re less stressed, anxious, apprehensive helping to improve/gain confidence and professionalism. 

You’ve just competed at a prestigious National show jumping championship qualifier. You’d prepared well, were hopeful, but things didn’t go to plan. You’re absolutely gutted not to qualify and experience a range of emotions.

Without resilience, you remain gutted, frustrated, disappointed and feel hard done by. Your mood, attitude and behaviour changes.

Working relationships suffer; your groom cannot do anything right by you, and avoids you as you’re grumpy and snappy. Work becomes trying. Your well-being deteriorates, with ripple effect on others, including your horses.

OR, after your initial reaction, you have a conversation with your mentor/coach. You search BSJ website for other qualifying routes. You work on improvements.

Although the process is repeated a couple of times, you bounce-back and qualify!

You run a yard but several, challenging, employment matters all need doing urgently; eg. HMRC tax returns, grooms’ pension calculations, new contracts plus NMW payments and travel time counting as work time disputes.

Without resilience you start feeling overwhelmed, stressed and up tight. You become snappy, struggle to concentrate. Your behaviour starts affecting those around you, including the horses.

OR, you assess the situation, look at EEA’s website and find all the employment information and guidance you need eg. contract templates, NMW & pension calculators and dispute resolutions.