Taking care of your mental health is just as important as looking after your physical health. One of the first things you can do to prevent stress and anxiety is to take time out to reconnect with yourself and assess your health.

To prevent burnout and identify early warning signs, you can use a self-assessment tool: the mental health barometer (see resources at the end to download for free).

This simple and accessible tool allows you to take a snapshot of your mental health through four colours, each associated with a specific state of health: (1) Green - Healthy, (2) Lavander - Coping, (3) Orange - Struggling, (4) Red - Alarming. In this instance, Louise shows signs of being in the orange zone (fatigue, feeling overwhelmed, anxiety) and the red zone (physical illness, exhaustion). When you are in the orange or red zone, get help as soon as possible. Signs of distress are neither abnormal nor a sign of weakness. Rather, they serve as a warning.

This tool can be used every day to maintain your balance during prolonged periods of stress or after a stressful event. Your state will fluctuate over time; keep track of your progress and implement strategies to find your balance again so you can return to the green zone.

Please note that this is not a "diagnostic" tool but rather a way to take a step back and observe what is happening within you.