Everyone has mental health just as we all have physical health. Like our physical health, there are times when our mental health can dip.
At anyone time in the UK, 1 in 4 people have a drop in the quality of their mental health.
If you need help for a mental health crisis or emergency, you should get immediate expert advice and assessment.
It is important to know that support services are available for you to access, whatever you’re going through.
If you are coping with a crisis and don not think you can keep yourself or someone else safe or you or someone else is injured or taken an overdose
There are other ways to access support.
If you struggle with suicidal thoughts or are supporting someone else, it may help to make a safety plan to use if you need it:
There are many ways in which you can help your own mental health. Just like looking after your physical health, activities can help you mentally too. The suggestions below may help you.
Learn to understand and manage your feelings.
Many of us will know when we are upset but not be sure what we are feeling. Is it sadness, fear, shame, loneliness, anger or something else? We don’t always know why we’re feeling that way.
Some people feel better if they write down their feelings in a notebook or on their phone. It can help identify a pattern and understand why you fell like you do. It also helps offload your thoughts privately so you don’t carry them around with you.
Talk to someone for support
It can take a lot of courage to tell someone else how you are feeling or what you are finding hard, especially if you don’t usually do that kind of thing.
Just talking things through with a person you trust can help and feel like a relief.
Talking may also change how you see and feel about the situation in ways you find helpful.
Get closer to nature
Nature can have a really calming effect on us. Some people say nature helps them feel calmer, more hopeful and less alone. Going for a walk can help break a routine, lift your spirits and feel connected.
Be aware that drugs & alcohol will not help you mentally
Using unprescribed drugs and alcohol might mask your feelings but they do not help you cope. Indeed, they can make things worse and increase the damage to mental and physical health, and potentially your relationships, work and training.
Get into a good sleep routine
Sleep can be the first thing to suffer when you are struggling with your mental health. Adults do need regular and good sleep to function properly.
Try having a good routine.
Keep moving
Your body and mind are connected, so taking physical activity helps your mind too.
Being active releases feel good hormones that can elevate your mood. It also improves sleep. Exercise can be anything from walking, gardening to taking part in a team sport or exercise class. The key thing is to be active.
Eat healthy food
Food and drink impacts our body and mood.
Too much sugar, through snacks or energy drinks does give a temporary high or a bit of comfort but it does not last.
A balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables is important for good mental and physical health.
Food can also become mixed up with our mental health. There is a section on eating disorders to look at if you feel it is relevant to you or someone you know.
Be kind you yourself and others
Even small connections with others can help lift your mood.
Acknowledging those around you with a smile of a hello, can help you and them. You do not need to know them to do this.
If you don’t know where to start, try a small acknowledgment when you walk passed someone in the street or when waiting in line at a shop or at a bus stop.
research has shown a few minutes of connection does help make a difference.
Make plans to have something to look forward to
At times life can seem to hard and monotonous. By having things to look forward to, it can help deal with days when you feel down or flat.
Plans do not have to be costly or extravagant. It can be a plan to meet up with a friend, to visit family, to watch a local activity with friends or alone.
It is the act of having something planned that keeps you connected that helps lift your mood.
