We know how important it is to take care of ourselves, especially when it comes to our mental health, but it’s not always easy knowing how to do it. In honour of May being Mental Health Awareness month, we wanted to share some of our most useful tips for looking after your mental health.

Make time for self-care

Life is busy and it can be so hard to find just 10 minutes for us on any day of the week but finding time for self-care is essential to good mental health.

Self-care can help maintain self-confidence and self-esteem. It can help boost inner-strength and give us that spring in our step that we need to get up and go. Just a small amount of self-care a day can make the world of difference. Here are some tips on how to make time for self-care:

• Wake up a little earlier
• Keep your routine simple
• Plan ahead

If you want to find out more about how to make time for self-care, why not head over to our ‘Finding time for self-care’ blog.

Exercise regularly

The phrase ‘you’ll never regret a work-out’ couldn’t be closer to the truth when it comes to our mental health.

When we exercise, the levels of serotonin and endorphins increase in our brain. These are the chemicals that make us feel happy and so it’s no wonder that there is a direct link between feeling good and feeling happy.

Besides from the physical benefits of regular exercise, attending the gym or an exercise class or even going on a long walk with a friend encourages you to get out and socialise offering the opportunity to talk to other people.

Socialise with your friends and family

Family and friends can help you deal with the stresses of life, they can make you feel cared for by offering a listening ear and a support system. Talking to people who you feel you can trust can help you offload your worries; they can offer different views on what’s going on inside your own head.

Socialising doesn’t always have to be face-to-face, although face-to-face is the best way to get out and about, but if you aren’t feeling up to it, a phone call or even a quick text can help you stay connected and give you the opportunity to share your thoughts and feelings with those who care about you most.

Make sleeping a priority

Sleep and mental health are closely connected. Anxiety can cause your thoughts to race making it hard to sleep, whereas depression can lead to oversleeping.

Here are some tips on how you can improve your sleep:

• Create a regular, relaxing bedtime routine
• Create a restful environment
• Exercise regularly
• Avoid caffeine or alcohol before bed

Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet

There are strong links between what we eat and how we feel about ourselves. Food can have a lasting effect on our mental health. In order to stay healthy, we need a well-balanced mix of nutrients.

 Good food isn’t just good for our physical health, but it’s essential to our mental health too.

Food that is good for our mental and physical health include:

• Fruit and vegetables
• Nuts and seeds
• Fish
• Plenty of water

 

Most importantly, if you are finding it hard to look after or improve on your mental health, we advise that you talk about your feelings with someone that you trust. That could be a friend, family member or a health care professional. You should never suffer with mental health a