It is becoming easier to talk about mental health and we are seeing lots in the media and on social media about mental health awareness. We have come a long way in the last few years and I am interested to see if this will continue. I hope it does and I continue to spread awareness too.

Mental health is so key to living a fulfilled life and showing up as the people we want to be. Not worrying about what others think and tapping into yourself rather than searching outside of ourselves for validation is key to having good mental health.

There are things we can do each day to help ourselves feel more optimistic in general and support our mindset and mental health.

This month is national walking month and also national mental health awareness month in the US, the school run is something parents do every single day, so I wanted to give you some powerful pointers on how you can utilise this time of the day and instead of it being chaos, you can make it a much calmer part of the day that actually sets you up for success for the rest of the day. Whether you are going to work, working from home or running your business.

• Decide to walk it instead of going in the car

It can seem so much easier doing the school run by car. Sometimes it’s unavoidable. If you are able to walk you may feel some resistance to begin with but once you’ve done it you’ll feel much more energised and mindful once you are back! It really can set you up for the day.

• Pay attention to your surroundings as you walk to school

We can end up caught up on our heads too much. Negative self talk, negative thoughts and internal frustrations are all things that naturally crop up in parents after getting the kids ready in the mornings and out the door. Begin paying attention to the things around you. Even the simple things like the wind and the sun or clouds!

• Put yourself in your children’s shoes

It can seem like a mad dash in the mornings sometimes causing frustration and panic. When you shift your perspective and see things from your kids perspective you’ll realise that they are just kids. They have no care in the world and they just want to be kids. This can help things be a bit more light hearted and allow you to be more carefree in the mornings.

• Bring your attention within and allow each breathe to relax you

Bring your awareness inside into your body. Notice your beating heart and take a deep breath. With each breath you take notice your shoulders rise and fall and with its release and tension you are holding on to.

Our mornings are what set us up for the rest of the day, so many entrepreneurs talk about having a morning routine, but if this isn’t possible for you for whatever reason you can still use this time to become more mindful and set yourself up for the day.

So many people perceive this time as chaos, it’s time to change your perspective and make it one of the best parts of your day.