10 Top Tips to look after mental well being
Did you know that 1 in 4 people experience some kind of mental health problem in any one year and depression is on its way to being the 2nd largest health problem worldwide, just behind heart disease and ahead of cancer?
Here are 10 top tips for looking after your mental health from the Mental Health Foundation:
- Eat a balanced diet and drink sensibly. Improving your diet can protect against feelings of anxiety and depression.
- Maintain friendships. Listening and talking to friends who are feeling down makes a huge difference.
- Maintain close relationships. Nurture them and if there is a problem try and resolve it.
- Take exercise. The effects of exercise on mood are immediate. Whether it is a workout in the gym or a simple walk or bike ride, it can be uplifting.
- Sleep. Sleep has both physical and mental benefits. Physically it is the time when the body can renew its energy store but sleep also helps us to rebuild our mental energy.
- Laugh. A good laugh does wonders for the mind and soul.
- Cry. It is good to cry. Even though it may feel terrible at the time, a good cry can release pent up feelings, and people often feel better afterwards.
- Ask for help when you need it. The longer you leave a problem the worse it will get.
- Make time for you. Do you sometimes feel like you have no time for yourself? Make time for your hobbies and interests.
- Remember, work isn’t everything. Ninety one million working days a year are lost to mental ill-health in the UK so take it easy.