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COURSE

October Mental Health Month

With Mark Joseph

Mental Health and Stress Awareness Month is an initiative that aims to raise awareness about mental health issues and stress management strategies. The goal of Mental Health Awareness Month is to foster an open dialogue about mental health, promote understanding, and encourage you to prioritize their mental well-being. It's an opportunity to remind everyone that mental health is just as important as physical health and that seeking help and support is a sign of strength, not weakness. This program is made up of 4 main parts 1. Increase Awareness of the stigma of mental health 2. How to manage stress 3. Making sure you're Ok 4. The power of authentic connection Each session consists of a talk, a mindfulness practice and encouraged home practice.

A 12 part series that will highlight the benefits of taking good care of your mental health in a pro-active way.

12 Days

532 students

4.9 stars

11 min / day

English

About this course

Relaxation Body Scan

Compassion Meditation (Karuna)

Polyvagal-Informed Self-Regulation Practice

Meet your Teacher

Mark Joseph

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Johannesburg, GP, South Africa

Mark Joseph is a highly acclaimed pro active mental wellness strategist, content creator, and keynote speaker whose mission is to help the world become mentally fit, create safe spaces, manage focus, develop EQ, inspire the 'how' of innovation and prepare our brains for the future workplace Using a combination of mindfulness, playfulness, neuroscience and psychology... Mark helps design inspiring strategies and create internal champions to heal toxic culture and inspire connection & productivity. Drawing from decades of experience in dynamic problem solving, and mental resilience training & teaching - Mark’s expertise has helped leading organizations develop strategies that inspire success and high profitability—as well as happy, productive and well minds.

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12 Days

532 students

4.9 stars

11 min / day

English

Lesson 1

The Stigma Of Mental Health

When we search for images on the web for physical health we see fit and healthy people eating right and exercising, when we search images for dental health we see shiny white teeth and smiles. When we search for mental health images of dark clouds and people huddled in corners of rooms... alone and sad. Why is this? We are all mental and we are all physical. Five out of six employees will lie about their mental health to their line manager due to fear of being judged or face discrimination. In this lesson we shine the light on why.

Lesson 2

It's Ok To Not Be Ok

As the world wakes up to 'It's Ok to Not Be Ok' we see a new age of young mental health champions arise. Sports champions like Simone Biles from Team USA and Naomi Osaka ex no 1 in tennis who stated they were not ok mentally to compete and pulled out. We are learning that in the mental health revolution we are now in vulnerability is a strength and not a weakness.

Lesson 3

Emotional Literacy

Holding space is a term used in the mindful circles to allow acceptance of emotions and feelings. Often we try to help others when our approach makes them feel worse. Literacy is learning to read and write, emotional literacy is reading emotions whether it's our own or another and being able to respond appropriately. Emotional Intelligence is based on four pillars - self awareness, self management, other awareness and other management. In this lesson we learn techniques of becoming emotionally intelligent.

Lesson 4

It's Ok Body Scan

The experiential practice of mindfulness is introduced with a well know body scan practice. Included is the feeling of acceptance and non judgment for ourselves. As we move our awareness through our body we explore how we feel and open up to using that feeling to feed our positive vulnerability.

Lesson 5

Managing Your Stress

Stress management is mostly based on how we regulate our nervous system. Constantly in fight, flight or freeze affects our health negatively. It also becomes infectious and our stress spreads to those around us. in this lesson we explore the benefits of learning to create a 'space'.

Lesson 6

Mindfulness - Key To Mental Health

Learning to observe our stress and being able to detach from personalizing is the key to resilience. Our subjective mind feels unable to cope whereas our observer mind dis-identifies with the drama in the process of what science calls 'meta-awareness'. In this lesson we learn the definition of mindfulness and how we can apply to stress management. As an experiential practice we learn the benefits of alternate nostril breathing and the pomodoro technique

Lesson 7

The Healing Power Of Self Love

Due to low self worth many struggle with work life balance in the attempt to try and prove themselves. A lack of boundaries is a clear indication of this. Self awareness helps to recognize our inner critic that fuels our stress and low self worth. In this lesson we reflect on the three pillars of self compassion - self kindness, mindfulness and common humanity. In addition we enjoy a self love mindfulness practice with affirmations.

Lesson 8

Beautiful Boundaries

Looking after our mental and physical health requires we make time for ourselves. Time to enjoy healthy, mindful moments. These boundaries do not need to be razor sharp and harsh, they can be gentle and safe. In this lesson we will enjoy a survey to explore of we need to employ more boundaries in our life, this consists of eight self reflective questions.

Lesson 9

'Postpone' Our Internal Distractions

Dr Ellen Langer from Harvard University says that 47% of our distractions are internal due to our dopmaine addiction of 'likes' and 'fear of missing out' (FOMO). Boundaries don't just happen, they first begin in the mind... with ourselves and then with others. In this lesson we will employ a mindfulness practice of creating a mental 'postpone' folder.

Lesson 10

The Power Of Authentic Connection

The pandemic thrust us into the fourth industrial revolution. Many now work from home via online meeting platforms rather than in person. As this might be convenient it does not allow for human connection, we might be more isolated and lonely. Over the years many public spaces have also changed and closed down, the research shows that we have moved into a lonely century. Medical research states that loneliness is the equivalent of smoking 15 cigarettes a day for our health. In this lesson we explore the harmful effects of loneliness and how we can open up to more authentic connection.

Lesson 11

A Formula For Happiness

Focusing on our own happiness and self compassion is only part of the equation to having great mental health. This must be balanced with compassion for the other. So much of a depressed mind is inwardly focused, less empathetic. Modern neuroscience proves where happiness is located in our brains and it has a lot to do with loving kindness. In this lesson we learn the benefits of compassion through an experiential practice of empathy.

Lesson 12

Authentically You

When we learn that it's ok to not be ok and to be honest about our mental health we can also feel that it is ok to explain the way we feel in an authentic way. Being authentic means being true to ourselves and then being able to explain that effectively. in this lesson we learn the positive points of why it is beneficial for our emotional well-being to be authentic and how this translates into self worth.