Taking care of your mental health: our advice

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines mental health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, which does not consist merely of the absence of disease or infirmity”. Fulfill yourself, overcome daily tensions, be productive, contribute to community life (even if it's just in the family setting). As you will have understood, taking care of your mental health is somewhat the foundation of our personal and collective well-being.

However, the environment and the context in which we operate can sometimes disrupt this ideal scheme: current events (especially geopolitics and health at the moment), the environmental situation, inflation, the all-digital era and the lack of social interaction...

According to the WHO, one in four people is affected by mental health problems in the world. So how do you know if you are affected?

The CERN medical service lists several signs that can give warning:

• Emotional disorders: sadness, fear, anxiety, irritability, feeling of self-depreciation.
• Behavioral Disorders: Labile mood, aggressiveness, difficulty finding interest in activities, performing daily tasks, substance abuse.
• Cognitive disorders: significant difficulty concentrating, reasoning normally, memory problems.
• Physical symptoms: headaches, intense fatigue, sleep disturbances, lack of appetite, tachycardia.
• Sensory symptoms: impaired visual or auditory perception.

Every two weeks at the microphone of Laure in the HO KALM podcast, the personalities (Amélie Pichard, Coline, Cathy Closier from Season Paris, Irène Olczak from Paulette Magazine, Marion Seclin, Camille Aumont Carnel from @jemenbatsleclito, etc.) talk about their view of stress. How did they overcome particularly stressful periods in their personal and professional life, how did they get support, what solutions worked for them… A mine of inspiration to ease their stress…And key information, shared in out -series in the company of experts (doctors, sociologists, nutritherapists, etc.) to understand the mechanisms of stress on the body and mind.

A year after launching our podcast, we share with you the best advice from our guests - and especially those who come back ALL THE TIME (thus who potentially have really proven themselves) for a calmer and more serene life:

1- Surround yourself well :
Knowing how to get out of social pressure, not comparing yourself and forgetting the gaze of others! Cultivate your social life, open up to your neighbor and of course, surround yourself with good people, those who do you good.
> According to Josépha Raphard (entrepreneur, Loma Club), Clément (YouTuber and extreme sports enthusiast, Hit The Road), Luciole (singer), Jean Pascal Barraque (professional rugby player), Arthur Guérin-Boery (world champion apnea), Coline (content creator), Adrien Garcia (entrepreneurs, founder of Réuni and the Entreprendre dans le Mode podcast)

2- Take care of your diet :
Favor a more natural and plant-based diet, eat mindfully, reconnect with your body and your feelings, do not neglect the right nutrients. And force yourself to cook at home (we deliver to you every month on HO KARAN's blog, a natural hemp-based recipe with our chef Fanny de Persil et Mimosa)
> According to Camille Azoulai (founder of Funky Veggie), Irène Olczak (founder of Paulette Magazine), Marion Baudier-Melon (nutritherapist)

3- play sports :
Find an activity that you like and stick to it, or at least move and stay moving, especially during teleworking (walking, taking the stairs, etc.).
> By Kevin (entrepreneur and founder of Coast Barn), Antonin Cohen (founder of Harmony), Pauline Delabroy-Allard (author), Adrien Garcia (entrepreneurs, founder of Réuni and the Entreprendre dans le Mode podcast)

4- Take time for yourself:
And without guilt. Look for moments of emptiness, through activities without a productive purpose, just for fun (taking a bath, reading, doing manual activity, listening to podcasts, etc.). Knowing how to say no when you feel the overflow and oh so important (at least) during these moments, turn off your notifications to enjoy 100%.
> By Coline (content creator), Irène Olczak (founder of Paulette Magazine), Camille Azoulai (creator of Funky Veggie), Antonin Cohen (founder of Harmony), Kevin Legoff (founder of Coast Barn), Adrien Garcia (founder of Réuni and creator of the Entreprendre dans le Mode podcast), Amélie Pichard (fashion designer).

5- Explore :
Don't forbid anything! Via personal development or holistic practices, but also simply by finding the doctor (like a psychologist) who suits us.
> By Irène Olczak (founder of Paulette Magazine), Antonin Cohen (founder of Harmony), Luciole (singer), Kevin Legoff (founder of Cost Barn).

6- Being in contact with nature:
And even in town. Via parks, green spaces, but also thanks to improvised weekends if we have the possibility. It also allows you to get out of your frame and breathe!
> By Marion Baudier-Melon (nutritherapist), Luciole (singer) and Kevin Legoff (entrepreneur, Coast Barn)

7- Accept your stress:
And turn it into an engine! Accept the discomfort and become stronger. Stay kind to yourself, put things into perspective and tell yourself one thing: everything is temporary.
> By Adrien Garcia (Creator of Réuni and the Entrprendre dans le Mode podcast), Camille Aumont Carnel (from @jemenbatsleclito), Amélie Pichard (fashion designer)

8- Bonus: the practice acclaimed by almost all of our guests, meditation.
5 minutes a day can change your day! It's accessible (and often free), requires no equipment and can be practiced at any time of the day.
> By all our guests. Learn more in the episode of Eugénie Lambert-Buckstein, founder of the first meditation studio in France, Bloom.