MeghannMix: Wellness the right way: Mind your mental health

AN EU-wide study carried out on loneliness - the EU-LS 2022 survey - revealed that Ireland tops the list with 20% of respondents saying they feel lonely most or all of the time.

That’s a staggering figure but it got me thinking about the bigger picture.

Social media is a force to be reckoned with. Wake up, check Instagram. Lunchtime, take a peek on Twitter. Throughout the day sending and receiving Snapchats. Going to sleep, scrolling through TikTok. It’s never ending.

For most of us, it’s a hobby, a way of communication, a place to share snippets of our lives to the world. It has become a place to see where trends originate.

Who remembers the banana bread and sourdough phase during lockdown? I never baked either of them but I feel I can’t stomach them anymore due to over consumption through my eyeballs - peering aimlessly at my phone screen.

While some trends are funny, engaging and interesting, there’s a trend that makes me uneasy. It’s the social media counsellor, the influencing self-proclaimed wellness guru, the makeup artist turned relationship “expert” and fitness instructor claiming to hold the key to all your mental health woes. But where are the qualifications? Where is the framed cert hanging on the wall?

How can people decide that because they have hundreds of thousands of followers they think it is OK to dish out advice? Especially when they have vulnerable eyes and ears watching and waiting on their every word?

Now before we move on, I wrote books about grief and mental health. I’ve shared my darkest days with the world on my social media. But I have never told someone what to do, I have never claimed to hold the answers. I’ve also made it very clear that I am not a qualified psychologist or even close. I’ve always stated that I am sharing my own experiences and if those watching have experienced something similar, they may relate and do what they want with the information as they wish.

But increasingly, I am seeing online courses and workshops being sold by these self-proclaimed life changers. And people are buying them and from what I can see funding the lifestyles of these privileged “gurus”.

Where do we draw the line? When will some sort of law come into place or warning labels?

We often see #ad #spon on social media accounts indicating the product being advertised was paid for therefore the person promoting it has been given money to say how great or beneficial the said product is.

But what about mental health? Why isn’t there some sort of regulator or regulation around unqualified persons making a profit from spouting about mental health?

I’ve read my fair share of wellness books, the likes of Eckhart Tolle and Anthony de Mello who are and were spiritual authors whose works existed long before social media. And often many of these influencers are resharing these great teachers' works in their own words and claiming it as their own.

I’ve always been open about my mental health and over the years have spent my fair share of money on qualified counsellors. Even during lockdown, I got myself a therapist for a few weeks to help with the overwhelming feelings of isolation and loneliness that we all felt.

When people come to me for advice, I always steer them in the direction of counseling services, to speak to a professional, someone who has years and years of experience dealing with loss, breakups, mental health and so much more.

If you're looking to find someone to help you, check out these websites: betterhelp.org, pieta.ie, turn2me.ie, you can Text 50808, a free 24/7 hour service provided by the HSE, mymind.org and jigsaw.ie are just some of the many great services available.

In my experience, finding the right person to share your feelings with, is like trying to find the perfect pair of jeans, you may need to shop around but when you find that pair that fits just right, the ones that make you feel great, then you know you’re on the right track.

Rogha na Seachtaine

WEAR: I bought sandals from the Una Healy Collection, which is a brand by singer, Una Healy, and they are so comfortable and perfect for this warmer weather and a stylish way to get some tan on the toes!

READ: Everything I know about love by Dolly Alderton is what I am currently reading. Dolly takes us through the trials and tribulations of love, friendships, hormones and general life of being a woman navigating life in your teens and twenties. You’ll laugh, cry and it brings back so many wonderful memories.

EVENT: Taste of Dublin is on this weekend in the Iveagh Gardens. Live cooking demos, loads of samples of food from a number of vendors, cocktails, food markets and more. It always provides a lovely atmosphere with daytime and evening events.

Contact Meghann by email - meghannmix@limerickleader.ie