What can you do to help yourself? There are some simple ways you can improve your wellbeing and boost your mood.
Here are some 12 quick steps in BSL you can use to improve your mental health.
1.Talk about your feelings. Tell your friends and family about how you feel. Being listened to can help a lot.
2. Keep active. Physical activity, playing football or going for a walk is a proven way to keep yourself mentally well. Doing exercise makes us feel better because uplifting chemicals are released into our bodies. It also helps us concentrate and sleep better. It could be a great way to meet other people. If you join a walking or swimming group.
3. Eat healthy food. A balanced diet is really important to having good mental health. Research shows proof that there is a link between what we eat and our positive mental wellbeing.
4. Drink sensibly. Sometimes drinking alcohol, for example beer or wine, which can make us feel good but only for a short time. Alcohol can make us depressed. Sensible drinking is very important, especially if we are feeling low or anxious.
5. Keep in contact with friends and loved ones. Being close to someone and being cared for has a huge impact on how we feel on a daily basis. So it’s important to make sure you text, email, video or meet up regularly. If you need more than just a chat with a family member or friend, then make contact with the experts.
6. Think about seeing a therapist. A therapist can really help you work through your problems. Visit the SignHealth website where you can make a self-referral.
7. Take a break. Getting away from everyday life and having a short holiday or visiting friends can change the way you feel about things.
8. Do something you enjoy. Doing something that you’re good at or just enjoy doing can help stop thinking about the negative or bad things that are going on. It can help you feel good about yourself when you have achieved a positive result.
9. Accept who you are. Accepting ourselves, including the good and bad points, helps us to see things in a different way. Have realistic expectations of ourselves and accept the things that we can’t change.
10. Care for others. Looking after people or looking after a pet, can make us feel useful and needed. It also gives a structure to our daily routine.
11. Learn something new. Learning something new can help you feel good about yourself. It can stimulate your mind and make you feel more confident.
12. Get involved. Being on your own and being isolated can make depression worse and cause low self-confidence. Start by going out more and perhaps try joining a group of people with similar interests. This will take your mind off your worries by being involved in interesting activities.
