The Mental-Health Foundation have put together 10 practical ways which will help people to improve the way they think and feel and help them cope better with the ups and downs life throws at them. These ten ways are listed below. To read the full article, click on this link: www.mentalhealth.org.uk/information/how-to-look-after-your-mental-health/
Talk about your feelings - This is not a sign of weakness, it’s part of taking charge of your wellbeing and doing what you can to say healthy. Talking can be a way to cope with a problem you’ve been internalising for a while. Being listened to can make you feel supported and not so alone.
Keep Active – Experts believe that exercise releases ‘Endorphins’ - chemicals in your brain that make you feel good. There are lots of ways of keeping active as well as going to the gym or doing sports – you can take the stairs instead of the lift, get on the bus a stop early or do housework or gardening. Try and do at least 30 minutes x 5 times a week.
Eat Well - There are strong connections between food and mood and a diet that is good for your physical health will be good for your mental health too. A healthy balanced diet includes: lots of different types of fruit and vegetables; whole grain cereals and bread, nuts and seeds, dairy products, oily f ish, lots of water.
Drink Sensibly – People often drink alcohol to change their mood or to deal with fear or loneliness, but the effect is only temporary and when the alcohol wears off you can feel worse because of the way the alcohol acts on your body. Alcohol can make depression worse, too. Try and stay within the recommended units or 3 to 4 units a day for men and 2 to 3 units a day for women.
Keep in Touch - Strong family ties and supportive friends can help you deal with the stresses of life, and can make you feel included and cared for. It’s worth working at relationships that make you feel loved and valued, but if you think being around someone is not good for your mental health then it may be best to have a break or cut the ties completely.
Ask for Help - None of us are superhuman and at times we need to ask for help when things become too much or start to overwhelm us. Local services are there to help you. Find a Counsellor through your GP or locally on the Wirral contact Wirral MIND or Advocacy in Wirral. Visit the Citizens Advice Bureau for help with debt. Join a support group like Alcoholics Anonymous to make changes.
Take a Break - They say a change is as good as a rest and a change of scene or pace can be good for your mental health. It could be a 5 minute pause from work or chores, half hour break to go for a walk or meet a friend for coffee or a longer break exploring somewhere new. Give yourself some me-time. Try a Yoga or Tai-Chi class or simply give yourself time to get some better sleep.
Do Something you are Good at - Enjoying yourself helps to beat stress. What do you love doing now or have enjoyed in the past? Concentrating on a hobby like gardening or a puzzle can help you forget your worries for a while and change your mood. It can be good to have an interest where you are just you.
Accept who you are - Some of us are good cooks, others have green fingers, others make people laugh. We all have our strengths and weaknesses and we are all unique and different. It’s much healthier to accept who you are than to wish you were like someone else. Good self esteem boosts your confidence and helps you deal with difficult situations. Be proud of who you are and focus on what you do well.
Care for Others - Caring for others is often an important part of keeping up relationships with people close to you. You can share your skills more widely by volunteering with a local charity. Helping out can make us feel needed and valued and can boost our self-esteem. Caring for a pet can improve your well-being and can help you be more active.
I'm a married mum of one, living in Wirral. Interested in cooking, growing stuff to eat and fitness. Have Bipolar Disorder but it doesn't stop me leading a full and productive life. 
“10 ways to look after your mental health” … with a photo of Rio de Janero, if I’m not mistaken … yes please !
For me being outdoors would be in my Top Ten. You could actually do all of the above outdoors … if you are brave enough !
But I think that connecting with nature does have a very good ‘feel better factor’ about it.
Rio would be nice! But as you say walking is a quick way to health and wellbeing and usually doesnt cost a fortune.
I was thinking the outdoors as a whole.
Yes, walking or taking a stroll … but with nature all a round us.The hectic, fast pace of life full of ‘technology’ sometimes takes us too far from nature. As humans we are nature ourselves & staying touch with nature, the outdoors, animals & plants etc is I think a more ‘human’ existance.
As soon as the weather is warm & sunny enough…everybody is outdoors. The more adventurous of us will be outdoors in most weathers.
Don’t children just love the outdoors & animals/wildlife ? We have a natural affinity with all of nature.Keeping in touch with it helps restore are ‘humanness’ in a world that at times seems so far removed from it. And as you mention it doesn’t cost a fortune to do.
I agree, Linda. I love the cycle of the seasons. I’d also like to add that I find everyday tasks very grounding too, if I can’t get outdoors in the winter. I have a little saying – ‘just get up and do the laundry’ – that helps me when I wake up to whirling thoughts and that dark ache in my stomach. Somehow, the scents and textures and colours of home really lift my spirits and help me ‘begin again’. I adopted this little saying after a breakdown, where analysing, self-helping, desperately meditaing etc had failed, the simplicity of this started my healing.
PS Rio for me too!!
I think a few weeks away would give us all a nice little boost! But meantime lovely to see spring on its way and so many beautiful places nearby to enjoy the great outdoors.