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Awareness around mental health is growing and there is a wealth of different ways out there to find out more – from Mental Health First Aider courses, toolkits for supporting young people’s mental health, #’s and influencers to follow down to awareness campaigns from organisations such as the FA + Fitness – #handsupforhealthyminds, @i_weigh on Instagram.
A key take-out for us with all of these initiatives is that caring for your body plays a key part in being emotionally healthy. As our minds and bodies are connected, taking care of your physical health can give your mental health a boost too.
Activities and habits such as working out, getting a good night’s sleep, eating a healthy and balanced diet, and living as active a lifestyle as you are able can all help towards your overall emotional well-being.
If these areas in your life aren’t going well, then your mind might feel the effect also. Lack of sleep, inactivity or an unhealthy diet can result in fatigue, bad moods, lack of focus and inability to manage stress and anxiety.
The good news is there are simple ways you can take actions in these areas which should help.
KEEP ACTIVE
When you exercise, your body releases chemicals called Endorphins into your brain that make you feel good. Regular exercise can boost your self-esteem and help you concentrate, sleep and feel better. Exercising doesn’t need to be going to the gym and working out. Having a walk outside or doing the housework all contribute to keeping active and can benefit your mental health.
EAT WELL
Your brain needs a mix of nutrients in order to stay healthy and function properly, just like the other organs in your body. Fuelling your body with the right foods and maintaining a healthy, balanced diet is not only good for your physical health but also your mental health.
A healthy diet includes: lots of different fruit and vegetables, wholegrain cereals or bread, nuts and seeds, oily fish and don’t forget, plenty of water!
KEEP IN TOUCH
There’s nothing better than catching up with someone face-to-face, but that’s not always possible. Technology nowadays means you can easily pick up the phone and have a chat, keeping the lines of communication open with friends and family is good for you!
TAKE A BREAK
A change of scenery or change of pace can benefit your mental health. It can be as simple as taking 5 minutes for yourself or a few minutes walk around your office. This can be just enough to help de-stress so give yourself some ‘me time’ and enjoy doing something you love.
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The above information is a guide only, and the tips are taken from www.mentalhealth.org.uk– if you need further information or require assistance please visit the below sites.
https://www.samaritans.org
http://www.sane.org.uk
https://www.mind.org.uk
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk