Top Tips For Mental Wellbeing

The Mental Health Foundation in the UK recently released the following tips for improving mental well being. They are worth reading as they can provide a template for that feel good factor not only for ourselves, but for our patients too:

• Eat a balanced diet and drink sensibly: Improving your diet can protect against feelings of anxiety and depression. 

• Maintain friendships: Just listening and talking to friends who are feeling down can make a huge difference. So make sure your devote time to maintaining your friendships both for their sake and your own.

• Maintain close relationships: Close relationships affect how we feel - so nurture them and if there is a problem within a relationship, try and resolve it.

• Take exercise: The effects of exercise on mood are immediate. Whether it is a workout in the gym or a simple walk or bike ride, it can be uplifting. Exercise can also be great fun socially.

• Sleep: Sleep has both physical and mental benefits. Physically it is the time when the body can renew its energy store but sleep also helps us to rebuild our mental energy.

• Laugh: A good laugh does wonders for the mind and soul.

• Cry: It is good to cry. Even though it may feel terrible at the time, a good cry can release pent up feelings, and people often feel better afterwards.

• Ask for help when you need it: The longer you leave a problem, the worse it will get. Don't be scared to ask for help from a family member, friend or professional.

• Make time for you: Do you sometimes feel like you have no time for yourself?

• Make time for your hobbies and interests.

• Remember, work isn't everything: Ninety one million working days a year are lost to mental ill-health in the UK so take it easy.

www.lcch.co.uk