Six ways Jazz Thornton looks after her mental wellbeing
Find out how this mental activist and Young New Zealander of the Year 2021 keeps herself well and thriving.
Sir John Kirwan recently caught up with Jazz Thornton, a mental health activist and Young New Zealander of the Year 2021, for Mentemia’s podcast, Open Minded.
They chatted about her journey of surviving to fighting and all the incredible things she’s up to now. You can listen here.
Jazz shared how she looks after her mental wellbeing in connection to Mentemia’s 6 pillars of mental wellbeing ⏤ Do, Connect, Move, Chill, Enjoy, and Celebrate. 🎉
Read on to discover some of the key things Jazz does to look after her mental wellbeing and thrive.
You might be inspired to try something new!
Chill
Jazz chills by watching series on Netflix (Grey’s Anatomy is a favourite) and doesn’t feel guilty about it! She also practices deep breathing before important events or meetings.
Chilling is important to relax your body and calm your mind and breathing is a powerful way to do this.
Find out more about box breathing or try out the breath training tools in the Mentemia app. It only takes a few minutes to feel the results.
Enjoy
Jazz isn’t afraid to embrace her silly side! To enjoy she likes to surround herself with people who tickle her funny bone and make her laugh.
Making time for pleasure, fun and laughter can help boost “feel good” brain chemicals, serotonin and endorphins.
Even having something to look forward to, like knowing you’re seeing a friend later for a giggle, can make you feel good as the anticipation can release dopamine.
If you want to sprinkle more laughter into your life, try the Make Laughter Part of Your Day course in the Mentemia app.
Connection
Face to face connection is something Jazz makes a top priority as she understands how important it is for her mental wellbeing.
To make sure she fits it in her busy schedule and doesn’t do all her socialising online, she books in weekly coffee dates with friends.
Scheduling regular quality time is a fantastic way to make sure you get your dose of social connection. You could book in going for a walk, hanging out at a friend’s place, going for a bike ride, or playing a board game.
Celebrate
Jazz admits she can be bad at celebrating but it’s a journey she’s on and she now recognises how important it is to celebrate milestones.
Finding the positive and embracing it helps to foster a positive sense of self. Celebrating doesn’t have to mean popping the champagne, throwing a party or going out for a fancy dinner.
While those things sure are fun, try these 6 fresh ideas to celebrate yourself like booking in a massage or watching the sunset.
Do
Every month Jazz tries to up-skill in a particular hobby ⏤ such as surfing, skiing and cooking. She’s also a big reader and tries to start her days by reading a book instead of diving straight into her phone.
Jazz is highly creative and constantly flexing those muscles by creating content and ideas for the many projects she’s working on.
Learning and creating are great ways to trigger dopamine, as we feel good when we achieve something and love the reward of progress.
Move
Walks in the outdoors with friends is a way that Jazz loves to move her body, and she gets to connect at the same time. She also hits up 30-minute high-intensity boxing classes to get her sweat on and clear her mind.
Keeping active helps with mood, sleep, energy, mental health and more. It also releases endorphins, also known as the runners high. The trick is to find out what kind of movement you enjoy.
See if you can mix it up and try something new, whether that’s stretching daily, light weight-training, swimming, or doing a new at-home workout.
For more, check out Your Exercise Inspiration Pack by Dr Nic Gill (All Blacks Strength and Conditioning Coach) in the Mentemia app. Just go to Explore > Collections to find it!