Susan talks about the importance of self care
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 are coping with daily life.
Good mental health doesn’t mean you’re always happy or unaffected by our experiences. But poor mental wellbeing can make it more difficult to cope with daily life.
Tips for improving mental wellbeing:
• Relax and reduce stress
• Find ways to learn and be creative
• Spend time in nature
• Connect with others
• Look after your physical health
• Try to get enough sleep
It is not always easy to start with caring for our wellbeing, and it can feel quite daunting to know where to start.
• Only try what feels comfortable
• Give yourself time to figure out what works for you, going at your own pace
• Take small steps. Pick one or two things that feel achievable at first, before moving on to trying other things.
Tip: Relax and reduce anxiety
Finding ways to relax: If there’s something that helps you to relax, try to find time to fit it into your day. For example, this could be having a bath or going for a walk. Take a break if you need to, if you are feeling overwhelmed, a change of scenery can help to relax and relieve feelings of anxiety, even for just a few minutes.
Do something you enjoy, try to make time for an activity you like on a regular basis. This could be something small like cooking a meal. Contacting a friend/family or listening to music.
Try to manage stress: If you are feeling under a lot of pressure, you may start to feel overwhelmed or out of control. Stress can also cause physical side effects. Mindfulness may be helpful, it is a way of paying attention to the present moment, using techniques like meditation, breathing exercises and yoga. It has been shown to help people become more aware of their feelings. This means that instead of being overwhelmed by your feelings, it can become easier to understand and manage them.
Adapted from mind.org.uk 17th July 2022
Mind have further useful tips to improving mental wellbeing on their website
Putting ourselves and our wellbeing first can help to improve our self-care and self-esteem. To be able to care for others, we need to start with ourselves, setting aside some time in the week just for you may help to foster self-compassion and improve your mental wellbeing.
