Top tips for looking after your mental health

A good, balanced diet is good for your physical and mental health. Top tips for looking after your mental health

It is important to take care of yourself – both physically and mentally. Below are some tips to help you. • Keep active and get regular exercise – this helps you sleep, concentrate, look and feel better. Regular exercise is good for your mind and body. • Deal with practical problems when they arise – this prevents them from being overwhelming and unmanageable. • Build and maintain friendships – friends and family give us support and comfort. • Care for and help others – this helps us to feel good about ourselves. • Recognise the signs of poor mental health and ask for help – ignoring problems only makes them worse. None of us are superhuman. If things get too much, family, friends or health professionals can offer help. • Talk about your feelings – this helps us digest and process what’s going on so that we can begin to find solutions. Bottling up worries just makes things worse. • Accept who you are – this is an important part of valuing and taking care of yourself. • Take time to relax and unwind – this helps our resilience and helps us to get a good night’s sleep. • Do something you’re good at – enjoying yourself can help you fight stress and boost your self-esteem. • Eat and drink healthily – our brains and bodies need a mix of nutrients to stay healthy. A good, balanced diet is good for your physical and mental health.

Drinking too much alcohol is not a good way to manage difficult feelings – once the drink wears off you’ll feel worse.

Useful contacts

If you would like more information or support with a mental health issue, here are some useful contacts: • Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Psychological

Wellbeing Service: 0300 300 0055 • Lifeline out-of-hours number for mental health service users: 0808 808 2121. This is available 7pm-11pm, 365 days a year. • CPFT website: www.cpft.nhs.uk • NHS 111 service: Dial 111 if you urgently need medical help or advice but it’s not a lifethreatening situation. • Samaritans: Call 116 123 • Mind infoline: 0300 123 3393 (weekdays 9am - 6pm) • Saneline: 0845 767 8000 (everyday 6pm - 11pm) • Childline: 0800 1111