How to take care of your mental health

TIP 1: DO THINGS THAT ARE GOOD FOR YOUR BODY AND MIND

• Stay active! Being physically active is good for your body and can help your mind feel better. If you can go outside, try a walk, run, bike ride, or another sport. If indoors, try dancing, stretching, or any other movement you can do. Find what works for you – and do it!
• Eat well! Try to make healthy choices about what you eat if you can.
• Take notice of yourself and the world around you. This means becoming more aware of your breathing, your body and your surroundings. Try to BE PRESENT in the moment!
• Sleep! Try to get the right balance of sleep each night. This will help you grow well, stay healthy, and keep clear thoughts. This can mean not oversleeping, which can cause you to feel groggy and slow, as well as sleeping enough to ensure that you have energy and focus during the day.
• Find things that make you happy and do those things more! Singing, listening to music, reading, playing games, chatting with friends, growing plants, cooking, playing football, drawing... there are many possibilities! Perhaps even try something new!

TIP 2: STAY CONNECTED TO LOVED ONES

Keep in touch with your family and friends however you can. Use social media, email, phone calls, write a letter! Be creative. And if you cannot connect, then think about a memory of a shared time together, or something that you appreciate about that person.

TIP 3: RECOGNISE HOW YOU ARE FEELING

Understanding how you feel is important. Do not ignore your feelings! Sometimes writing your feelings can help. Try this “I feel ....... right now”.

TIP 4: BE KIND TO YOURSELF

It is okay to feel however it is that you’re feeling. Putting pressure on yourself to always ‘be happy’ or ‘stay positive’ or ‘stay productive’ can sometimes make you feel worse. Instead, if you notice you are experiencing difficult emotions, try telling yourself: “I feel worried and scared, but that does not mean I am not coping.” “It’s been a tough time, it’s okay to be upset.” “I am feeling [insert how you are feeling] and that is okay.” “These are difficult times, it’s normal to feel upset.”

Or think of something to tell yourself that works for you.

TIP 5: LISTEN TO YOUR BODY

Our body experiences and reacts to how we feel. Do you often get headaches? Do your shoulders, chest, or stomach sometimes feel tense? Try closing your eyes, and listening to your own breathing. Notice how you feel in each part of your body, starting from your head down to your toes. Notice if you are feeling any tightness, pain, or pressure in your body. Simply being aware of where you are feeling tension can help release it.

TIP 6: TRY BREATHING TO CALM YOURSELF DOWN

Slow breathing is one of the quickest ways of calming down the body when we experience feelings such as fear, worry or anger. Close your eyes and think of a calm place. Imagine yourself there, feeling relaxed.

• Focus on breathing slowly.
• Breathe in for a slow count of 3 and out for a slow count of 3.
• Practice this for a few minutes.

How do you feel after? 

TIP 7: AVOID UNHEALTHY WAYS OF COPING WITH STRESS

When you are experiencing difficult feelings, it is important to find healthy ways to take care of yourself.

It may not be easy, but it is often about balance: Try to engage in healthy tips we have mentioned here and avoid becoming easily angered, eating less or more than usual, eating more unhealthy foods, not sleeping enough or sleeping too much, cutting off contact with family and friends, and/or turning to substances like drugs, alcohol, and tobacco.

TIP 8: TALK TO SOMEONE YOU TRUST

It is not always easy to manage stress, worry, or sadness, and it is important to lean on others for support. Connect with a friend, a parent, a teacher, or a trusted adult about how you are feeling, and they may be able to help you. Sometimes just by connecting with someone else, you might feel better.

If the situation is so overwhelming that you are considering self-harm, seek professional help. The national helpline for children, 116 111, is also available 24 hours a day.

Sometimes we may feel very overwhelmed or hopeless and have thoughts about hurting ourselves, or thinking that life is not worth living anymore, or wishing that you would fall asleep and not wake up. 

These thoughts are not uncommon and you should not feel ashamed if you are experiencing these. Remember: if you feel this way, it is essential to talk to someone you trust or a professional helper who can help to keep you safe. This can include asking this person to help you access support at local services (health, social, community).

TIP 9: LOOK FOR THE GOOD

Although not every day is good, there is something good that can be found in every day. Think of something - even a small thing- you are thankful for before sleeping each night.