World Mental Health Day: Practising Self-Care in The Film Industry
World Mental Health day is a hugely important day for many across the globe, and is a chance for us to come together and create awareness in support of mental health. Making time to support your mental health and well-being is important every day of the year, but today provides an additional platform to speak up, share experiences and provide support for one another. Supporting your mental health is as important as supporting your physical health. Stress, anxiety and low mood are experienced in one way or another by every person on the planet, at some point in time. Some may handle stress better than others, but feeling like you're having a difficult time supporting your mental health is not a sign of weakness and is something experienced by millions worldwide. There is no shame in needing to take time for yourself, needing some extra support or asking for help.
A recent interview in Variety magazine explored a survey that took place earlier this year by The Film and TV Charity, which discovered that the U.K Film & TV industry were one of the largest sectors to be affected by poor mental health and work stress. Almost “90% of off-screen professionals experienced mental health issues on the job – which was significantly worse than the general population, in which 65% struggle with mental health at work.”
At Rianne Pictures, we are always trying to find good ways to create awareness on mental well-being, general mindfulness and self-care tips to help others in the industry. At our WomenX Festival this year, we have also dedicated an area online as our Calm Creative Space where we have partnered up with Mind Charity to provide some fantastic resources, as well as podcast recommendations, yoga and mindfulness videos and CBT exercises. As a recently qualified Mental Health First Aider myself with MHFA England, I wanted to take some time for World Mental Health Day to talk a little bit about stress, anxiety and low mood, good ways to create support for yourselves within the creative industry, and recommend some great support services and apps you can access yourself.
Stress, Anxiety and Low Mood
Most people will experience varying levels of stress, anxiety or low mood from time to time, and for some this can become a more consistent problem. Some will start to have more physical symptoms they notice such as headaches, tiredness, upset stomach. For others, it may take the form of feeling unmotivated, feeling negatively about yourself or experiencing symptoms of excessive worry and fear. Many feel they cannot talk openly about their mental health or if they are struggling, so it's important to create awareness and environments where people feel they can be listened to non-judgementally about any problems they are experiencing. Work can be an important factor in how well we are managing our mental well-being. The Film and TV industry is well known to be a fast paced and stressful working environment, with deadlines or issues cropping up with tasks along the way for nearly everyone involved in the creative arts. It's really important to be actively voicing the need for better mental health support services for industry professionals, so we can all better manage conditions such as stress, anxiety and low mood.
Cognitive Distortions
You might be thinking what on earth's that or you may already recognise and know the term well, but cognitive distortions are disturbances to our thought processes, brought about by conditions negatively impacting our mental health. The way we think impacts the way we feel, and vice versa, which can all lead to an ongoing cycle of problematic thinking. Examples of common cognitive distortions include:
All or nothing thinking, which can relate to assuming things needing to be perfect or they must be sub-standard. With work this could include feeling like if a project falls short slightly it's not good enough and you shouldn't continue.
The Negative Filter, which is pretty much as simple as it sounds, where you're only viewing yourself or your work with criticism or with negative worries and outcomes.
Ignoring any positives, feeling as though you can only focus on the bad or worst possible outcomes, no matter how unlikely these may appear to others.
Creating a Plan of Action
Although you may struggle to feel motivated to do this, or feel like you just don't have the time, it's important to give it a try. It doesn't have to be anything complex, it could simply be jotting down in a favourite notepad or making some colourful post-it notes, but the point is to give you an additional first step to helping support yourself. Maybe ask a friend to help, if you're not sure where to begin. A good way to start, is to write down any worries or negative thoughts you are currently experiencing, this also gives a chance to speak to somebody about these worries if you feel like you can. Thinking back to the cognitive distortions mentioned above, try and see if any of your written down worries appear to match the ones listed above. The next step is to write down next to these worries some more balanced thought responses. It can be hard to do, especially if you're struggling to think positively currently, but if it helps try to think about what you might write down if a friend was experiencing the same worries. Try to use that same compassion and kindness when it comes to yourself.
Build Yourself a Support Network
Whether it's getting in touch with a mate, a family member, a colleague, a partner or even reaching out to meet new people, think of ways you can expand your support network. Bumble is a great app if you're looking to make new friends, or for specific mental health support, Mind have a new online platform called Side by Side which is also free to sign up to. Maybe even reach out to someone you haven't spoken to in a while. Try not to assume the response will always be a negative one if you can, and use the balanced thought practices mentioned previously.
Take Time for Yourself
Last but definitely not least, take time to care for yourself! Do things that make you feel good and help you relax. It may be difficult to see that these could help to start with, but keeping at it can really make a difference. Think of things that make you happy or that help you to wind down. It could be a relaxing bath, doing yoga or meditation, taking a walk outside, spending time playing with a pet, reading or doing something creative. If you enjoy music, Cove is a great little app that lets you easily create music in relation to your mood. Another option could be exercise, which has also been proven to reduce stress and boost both energy and mood, and if you're having trouble sleeping practice creating a comfortable and quiet sleep environment, or maybe cut down on the caffeine (we all know how much us creatives rely on our coffee fix, but maybe try switching to tea for a while)
The take-home is much a reminder for yourself that you are worthwhile, that it's okay to not feel okay, and that there are people who want to help and support you. World Mental Health Day is a perfect time to reach out to others, take the time to ask if someone is okay, and help spread awareness on the importance of creating good mental health support.
Below is a list of organisations and apps where you can find excellent further help and support. For specific support relating to mental health in the Film and TV industry please visit The Film and TV Charity or Core Arts for creative mental health support in London.
Mind
mind.org.uk/info
info@mind.org.uk
0300 123 3393 (9am-6pm Mon-Fri)
SaneLine
sane.org,uk
0300 304 7000 (6pm-11pm Mon-Sun)
Samaritans
116 123 (24 Hours)
samritans.org
MindOut
LGBTQIA+ Specific Support
mindout.org.uk
Apps:
Headspace - Meditation, relaxation, guided talks
Calm - Meditation, music, bedtime stories
What's Up - Grounding techniques, breathing exercises, positive affirmations
Stay Alive - Suicidal thoughts support
NHS Self Help - Huge collection of self help guides for mental health
WorryTree - Jotting down and managing worries
Cove - Mindful music creator
MyLife Meditation – Meditation, relaxation exercises
