Help & advice

Strategies to help cope with your mental health:

Connect with other people

Good relationships are important for your mental wellbeing because they can:

• help you to build a sense of belonging and self-worth
• give you an opportunity to share positive experiences
• provide emotional support and allow you to support others

Be physically active

Being active is not only great for your physical health and fitness. Evidence also shows it can also improve your mental wellbeing by:

• Raising and boosting your self-esteem
• helping you to set goals or challenges and achieve them
• causing changes in your brain which can help to positively change your mood

Learn new skills

Research shows that learning new skills can also improve your mental wellbeing by:

• boosting self-confidence and raising self-esteem.
• helping you to build a sense of purpose
• helping you to connect with others around you.

Give to others

Research suggests that acts of giving and kindness can help improve your mental wellbeing by:

• creating positive feelings and a sense of reward
• giving you a feeling of purpose and self-worth
• helping you connect with other people

The do’s and don’ts:

DO:

• try talking about your feelings to a friend, family member, health professional or counsellor. You could also contact Samaritans.
• consider joining a group or class that focuses on something you enjoy; you could ask to go along and just watch first if you’re feeling nervous or anxious.
• consider visiting places where you can just be around other people I.e: a park, the cinema or a cafe.
• consider peer support, where people use their experiences to help each other.
• try the 6 ways to feel happier, which are simple lifestyle changes to help you feel more in control and able to cope
• search and download meditation apps on the AppStore.

DON’T:

• do not try to do everything at once; set small goals at first that you can easily achieve.
• do not focus on the things you cannot change.
• try not to compare yourself to others. On social media you usually only see things people want to share
• try not to tell yourself that you’re alone.
• try not to use alcohol, cigarettes, gambling or drugs to relieve loneliness; these can all contribute to even worse mental health.

How common is mental health in the UK?

1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem of some kind each year in & 1 in 6 people report experiencing a common mental health problem (like anxiety and depression).

Suicidal thoughts and self-harm

Suicidal thoughts and self-harm aren’t mental health diagnoses. But they are related to mental health. Over the course of someone’s lifetime :

• 1 in 5 people have suicidal thoughts
• 1 in 14 people self harm.
• 1 in 15 people attempt suicide.

As you can tell you are not alone! & if you need to seek medical advice or help please do it today!!

Stay safe 🌹💕