Use mental health charity Retune’s SCALES system to help your wellbeing this year
Singer-songwriter and counsellor in training Tom Ryder, the founder of mental wellbeing charity Retune, writes for the Indie
Hello, dear reader of the Stortford Indie! How are you? I hope you and your family enjoyed a refreshing and relaxing Christmas and new year. In mid-to-late January it feels just about acceptable to still ask such questions.
And they are important questions. While rounding off another year and entering into the festive spirit can be full of cheer and joy, the holiday season can also be one of struggle and hardship for many, especially in terms of mental health and wellbeing.
Personally, I found the time challenging; we lost my nan in 2024 and she was a stalwart festive fixture, and with my sister away on honeymoon (what a splendid idea) it was a different occasion than usual. Good fun no doubt, but those days between Christmas and new year can be very discombobulating – a return to routine was longed for.
My name is Tom Ryder and I am the founder of Retune, a mental health charity that uses creative outlets such as music to improve resilience and mood, equipping our community with strategies they can utilise to feel better.
I’m a singer-songwriter and professional writer and I also spend some of my time working in learning support at The Bishop’s Stortford High School. As a portfolio career, all of these facets make for some juggling at times, but working in this way is usually very rewarding.
It has been some time since I’ve written for the Indie. I had some time away for various reasons, including to look after my own mental health. The purpose of my column here is simple: how can I influence readers to look after their own wellbeing in a way that is constructive and doable?
At Retune we accomplish a number of things. We deliver educational and creative wellbeing workshops, we host live shows and we also offer one-to-one support in the form of mentoring/counselling (however you wish to frame it in a way that is not too scary).
After speaking with wonderful Indie editor Paul, I have been commissioned (nice posh word) to write to you every three weeks or so. I plan to cover various pertinent topics, linking back to wellbeing every step of the way.
I will be doing my utmost to bring Retune to your attention, including our innovative SCALES model (Sleep, Creative, Active, Listen, Earth, Social). At times we will be putting some Stortford favourites ‘on the SCALES’ to find out how they look after their mental health. I’ll be promoting upcoming shows and letting you know how you can reach out to us if you require support.
The BBC recently released an article where “experts” stated that young people “need to be more resilient” when it comes to mental health. This is all very well, but how? It is true that we have the language nowadays to discuss how we feel; there are far fewer taboos and the topic is out in the open a lot more. But we still seem to be unsure of how exactly to improve our mental health.
This is why I and Retune’s CEO Greg Camburn live the principles of SCALES in our daily lives. We ensure that we get enough sleep; engage in something creative (anything you can lose yourself in); remain active and exercise; listen to our bodies by addressing diet and being inspired by what’s around us; use the Earth string to explore nature and get outside, all while earthing ourselves by slowing down and reflecting; and, finally, keeping the Social string tuned up by maintaining strong relationships.
In the weeks ahead I am going to reference SCALES regularly. It has helped me and can help you too. I’ll be letting you know ways that you can take action to improve your mindset and be the healthiest version of yourself.
The onset of 2025 provides us with an opportunity to be mindful and intentional in the way we approach things. January is a time for consolidation and resetting, but it is also a time to be gentle.
Perhaps you are wrestling with the ordeal of Dry Jan or looking to address diet. Perhaps you are seeking a change of career or navigating a tough relationship. Whatever the struggle, myself and Retune are here to help.
You can email me at tom@retunewellbeing.com, follow @RetuneWellbeing or visit www.retunewellbeing.com to find out more.
On Friday March 7 we are at South Mill Arts to deliver a wellbeing workshop (thank you to those who turned up to our first one on January 10). On Friday March 14 we welcome the incredible SuRie to the Retune stage. She will be supported by our house band, The Retuners, and we are seeking youngsters to fill the other support slot, so do get in touch if you have anyone in mind.
I guess that is all for now. Take it easy and, if you feel up to it, do reach out. We’d love to hear from you.
@tomryder___