In a recent interview with That’s Farming editor, Catherina Cunnane, online counsellor and personal trainer, Lynne Troughton, provided tips for improving mental and physical health.
Lynne Troughton aims to combine physical and mental health through her business, Counselling through Fitness in Northern Ireland.
The online counsellor and personal trainer’s belief there is an “organic link” between physical and mental health prompted her to combine the two to support clients physically, emotionally, and mentally.
As outlined in this interview, she aims to help clients “feel good on the inside” and “look good on the outside”, as outlined in this interview.
Here are her mental and physical health tips:
- Exercising outside work environment – Aim for 30 minutes a day. Even 5 minutes is better than doing nothing. This helps you feel good by endorphins released in your body. You could try going for a walk, cycle, or hike. Alternatively, see my Facebook page for a FREE mountain fit guide.
- Connect with others – A lot of farmers spend a lot of time in isolation working. It is more difficult during the Covid-19 pandemic to connect with others. You could try the phone, Facetime, email, sign up to a social media account like Facebook or Instagram. Alternatively, you could connect with farming groups or access agri media. Connecting with friends, family and the community people helps with mental health as it provides us with support, a sense of purpose, security and happiness.
- Be present – Through being in the here and now. This helps us to be aware, noticing our thoughts, feelings and the world around us. This then will help with having a better perspective on the task you may be doing. Try this grouping technique below:
Five – Senses: *Remember 5-4-3-2-1*
- Look – 5 things you can see
- Feel – 4 things around you that you can feel
- Listen – 3 things you can hear
- Smell – 2 things you can smell
- Taste – 1 thing you can taste reduces stress, improves mood, helps you think more clearly and lowers your risk of serious health problems such as heart disease.
- Do something for yourself (self-care) – Your favourite hobby, interest, learn something new, relax, e.g. take a bath or read a book. Self-care is important as it gives you time to recharge and take care of yourself.
- Sleep – It is important that we get enough sleep, especially farmers, due to long hours for our physical and mental health.
- Enough sleep reduces stress, improves mood, helps you think more clearly and lowers your risk of serious health problems such as heart disease. The National Sleep Foundation’s guidelines advise that healthy adults require need 7-9 hours of sleep per night.
