What is mental wellbeing?

Mental wellbeing refers to how you cope with the day-to-day stresses of life.  Having good mental wellbeing improves your mood, helps you deal with difficult situations and builds your resilience.

Taking time for yourself is important for your mental wellbeing and will help you get the most out of life.  Try to spend just a few minutes each day on mental wellbeing activities.  Chose activities that you enjoy – going for a walk, yoga, reading a book, catching up with friends, playing with a pet. 

Mental wellbeing and your physical health

Good mental health is supported by good physical health and taking good care of your body is important to support and improve your mental wellbeing. 

You can take care of your physical health by -

• Doing 30 minutes of physical activity each day. Physical activities such as gardening, taking the dog for a walk, or taking a class at the gym will release feel-good chemicals (endorphins and serotonin) into the body.
• Eating a well-balanced and nutritious diet.
• Making sure that you get enough rest. Aim for at least eight hours of sleep each night so your brain can process all the information it has received during the day. Sleep deprivation can have significant negative consequences and can contribute to anxiety and depression.

Undertaking mental and physical wellbeing activities will increase your energy levels and general health and improve your ability to manage your day to day challenges.

 

Seeking help

Sometimes you may need to seek additional assistance to support your mental health. Seeking help is an important step towards feeling better but asking for assistance can be very difficult and may make you feel vulnerable. 

Talking to someone you know and trust can be very helpful. You could talk with your doctor, a teacher, a counsellor, or a friend or peer who has gone through something similar.

If you are not comfortable talking to someone in person there are a range of digital mental health resources which can often be as helpful as talking to someone face-to-face.

Help-seeking can give you a chance to talk about how your mental ill-health is affecting your daily life. It is your experience, so you should let the person you are sharing with know if you would like to keep it private, if you want their advice or help, or if you'd just prefer they listen.

It may take time for you to open up, and that's okay. When people understand the challenges you are facing, they are in a better position to support you.

There is lots of information available to help you find support and we have provided a range of information and links in the resources section of the Mental Health Hub.