Taking small actions to support good mental health this Mental Health Awareness Week

Even small actions can help us feel hopeful and less powerless. And while our individual actions matter, when we come together we are even more powerful.

The Mental Health Foundation’s top 10 actions to support good mental health:

These simple actions may help lift your mood and improve your ability to cope with life. Try a couple and find which works best for you.

Plan something to look forward to

Making plans for things we enjoy can increase our sense of hope, which is important for our mental health. It could be a plan to sit down with a cup of tea and take a quiet five minutes, or a long-term plan for an ambitious trip. Whether it’s a big or small goal, the important thing is to plan it.

Eat well

One of the simplest ways to improve mental health is by eating a healthy, balanced diet. Not only can it support your emotional health, but introducing small habits, such as staying hydrated or having fruit snacks, can help make changes stick easier.

Get closer to nature

Spending time in nature can boost your mood, lessen stress, and help you concentrate.

Get good sleep

Good quality sleep helps your brain work better, lifts your mood, and is good for your overall health.

Get creative

Spending time on creative activities is a great way to help ease stress and anxiety. Carve out some time to listen to music, paint, sing or do whatever your enjoy most.

Move regularly

Being active can boost your mood and raise your self-esteem. It’s also an effective stress management technique. Whether you got for a walk, do some yoga, or vigorously clean the kitchen it all counts.

Try mindfulness

Being fully aware in the present moment can positively change the way you feel about life and how you approach challenges. Aim to notice the colour of the sky, the sounds of leaves or the feeling of your feet on the ground.

Make time for friends

Having good relationships with others can help you feel like you belong, allow you to share experiences, and receive emotional support. It’s a great reason to have a catch-up with a friend on the phone.

Be kind

Bad days happen to everyone. If you’re having a tough time, remember to treat yourself with kindness and understanding. You’re doing the best you can

Talk things over with someone you trust

It can take a lot of courage to tell someone else how we’re feeling or what we’re finding hard. Just talking things through with a person we trust can feel like a relief and make us feel less alone.

Take action for someone else

We all go through times when we need a little bit of help to see us through. Other times we may be worried about someone in our life becoming unwell.

You don’t need to be an expert on mental health to make a difference. Whether they are a friend, family member or colleague, there are many ways to support somebody you care about.

Talking about mental health

It can feel difficult when we see someone struggling and we don’t know how to help. Mental health can seem like a big topic, too daunting to broach. Many of us worry about saying the wrong thing, but you don’t need to find the perfect words, demonstrating that you care goes along way.

Choose the words that you feel comfortable with, the most important thing is letting someone know that you care for them and that it’s ok to talk about what they are feeling. It’s ok to ask questions, but be respectful if someone isn’t comfortable sharing.

You can also let someone know that it’s ok to talk about their mental health by being open about yours. Talking about mental health can help create an environment where people feel comfortable acknowledging their own feelings.

If someone does share that they are struggling with you, you don’t need to fix it right away by telling them what they should do, try demonstrating that you are listening, and offering help where you can.

Following up by “I’ve been thinking about you, how are things today?” can mean a lot. It demonstrates that the feelings that they shared mattered, and that you are still for them.

What if talking isn’t enough?

Sometimes people share thoughts and feelings that feel too big for us to help with. If you are really worried that talking isn’t enough, ask whether they’ve thought about speaking to someone else as well, perhaps a GP, counsellor or another trusted person in their life.

You don’t need to rush someone in to getting more help, but if they are struggling to take the first steps for more support you can offer to sit with them while they book their appointments.

Someone people might resist help, and remember no matter how good your intentions are, you can’t force them to do anything. All you can do is let them know that you will be there for them when they are ready to take their first steps.