How to improve your mental wellbeing

Tips to help you take care of your mental wellbeing

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on Mind

What is mental wellbeing?

Mental wellbeing doesn’t have one set meaning;we might use it to talk about how we feel, how well we’re coping with daily life, or what feels possible at the moment. Good mental wellbeing doesn’t mean you’re always happy, or unaffected by your experiences, but poor mental wellbeing can make it more difficult to cope with daily life.

Tips for improving your mental wellbeing

Relax and reduce stress

Find ways to relax

If there’s something that helps you relax, try to find time to fit it into your day; for example, this could be having a bath or going for a walk. If you find it difficult to switch off, you could try some of the tips and exercises in our relaxation pages.

Take a break if you need to

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by a stressful situation, try to take a break. A change of scene can help you to relax and relieve feelings of anxiety, even just for a few minutes.

Do something you enjoy

Try to make time to do an activity you like on a regular basis; this could be something small, like cooking a meal, ringing a friend or listening to music.

Try to manage stress

If you’re under a lot of pressure you may start to feel overwhelmed or out of control. Stress can also cause physical side effects. See our pages on stress for tips on dealing with pressure and coping with stressful events.

Try mindfulness

Mindfulness is a way of paying attention to the present moment, using techniques like meditation, breathing exercises and yoga. It’s been shown to help people become more aware of their thoughts and feelings. This means that, instead of being overwhelmed by your feelings, it becomes easier to manage them. See our pages on mindfulness for more information, including some exercises you could try.

Give yourself some tech-free time

If you find that being on your ‘phone or computer a lot is making you feel more busy and stressed, try to take a break, even if for just an hour or two. If you find this difficult, try putting your ‘phone in another room, or setting an alarm to time yourself.

Find ways to learn and be creative

Doing something creative can help distract you from difficult thoughts or feelings, or help you to process them. It can also be rewarding. You could try doing something like drawing, playing a musical instrument or baking. Try not to worry about the finished product – just focus on enjoying yourself.

Join a class or group

Learning a new skill in a group can be enjoyable, and can help boost your confidence. To find out what’s on in your area contact your local Mind, search the National Alliance of Arts in Health and Wellbeing directory, or ask at your local library or community centre.

Spend time in nature

Spending time in nature outdoors can help improve your mood and reduce feelings of stress and anger. Our information on nature and mental health has more about the benefits and lots of ideas you could try.

Bring nature indoors

This can give you the benefits of nature without you having to go to a park or public garden. You could buy flowers, potted plants or seeds for growing on your window sill – or you could collect natural materials from outdoors – such as leaves, flowers and feathers – and use them to decorate your living space.

Spend time with animals

Lots of people find that being with animals is calming and enjoyable. You could try pet-sitting or dog walking, feeding birds from your window, or visiting a local community farm.

Try a mindfulness exercise in nature

Pay attention to your surroundings and find things to see, hear, taste, smell and touch. See our information on taking a mindful moment in nature for ideas you could try.

Connect with others

Connecting with others can help us have a greater sense of belonging and reduce feelings of loneliness. Opening up to a trusted friend or family member can help you feel listened to and supported. Sometimes, just acknowledging your feelings by saying them out loud can also help. If you’re finding things hard, talking to people who have similar feelings or experiences can help; this could be face-to-face at a peer support group, or an online community like Mind’s Side by Side. See our pages on peer support to find out more.

Volunteer

Using your time to help others can give you a sense of purpose, help you meet people and boost your self-esteem. See the Do It website for volunteering opportunities.

Look after your physical health

Drink water regularly

Drinking enough water is important for your mental and physical health. The NHS has more information about water, drinks and your health.

Think about your diet

There is lots of advice out there about there about how eating or avoiding certain foods can affect your mental health. Not all of this is supported by strong evidence but we do know that eating regular meals and a healthy, balanced diet can help your mood and energy levels. The NHS has helpful information on how to maintain a balanced diet.

If you have a difficult relationship with food and eating, our pages on eating problems have information and tips which may help.

Look after yourself

Basic self-care, like brushing your teeth or having a shower, is important for your physical health and can help you feel better. If you’re struggling, try to set yourself small goals, like getting up and washing your face.

Try to avoid drugs and alcohol

You might feel like using drugs or alcohol to cope with any difficult feelings but, in the long run, they can make you feel worse. See our pages on recreational drugs and alcohol to find out more.

Try to keep active

Try to build physical activity into your daily routine, if possible. It doesn’t have to be anything big, like running a marathon; if you aren’t used to being active, start off small and try to find something you enjoy.

Try to get enough sleep

Try and establish a routine around bed time to help set a regular sleeping pattern. Give yourself some tech-free time before sleep, and avoid bright screens that can affect your sleep.

Try to wind down before bed

Do a relaxing activity, like having a bath, or try a relaxation exercise before you go to sleep. It may also help to avoid having caffeine before your bed time, as this can keep you awake.

Try to make your sleeping environment comfortable

A comfortable sleeping environment can help improve your sleep. Small changes can help – for example, you might sleep better with a low light on, or with different bedding.