Connect with others. Develop and maintain
strong relationships with people around you who will support and enrich your
life. The quality of our personal relationships has a great effect on our
well-being. Putting time and effort into building strong relationships can bring
great rewards.
Take time to enjoy. Set aside time for activities,
hobbies and projects you enjoy. Let yourself be spontaneous and creative when
the urge takes you. Do a crossword; take a walk in your local park; read a
book; sew a quilt; draw pictures with your kids; play with your pets.
Participate and share interests.
Join a club or group of people who share your interests. Being part of a group
of people with a common interest provides a sense of belonging and is good for
your mental health. Join a sports club; a band; an evening walking group; a
dance class; a theatre or choir group; a book or car club.
Contribute to your community.
Volunteer your time for a cause or issue that you care about. Help out a
neighbor, work in a community garden or do something nice for a friend. There
are many great ways to contribute that can help you feel good about yourself
and your place in the world. An effort to improve the lives of others is sure
to improve your life too.
Challenge yourself. Learn a new skill or take on a
challenge to meet a goal. You could take on something different at work; commit
to a fitness goal or learn to cook a new recipe. Learning improves your mental
fitness, while striving to meet your own goals builds skills and confidence and
gives you a sense of progress and achievement.
Deal with stress. Be aware of what triggers your
stress and how you react. You may be able to avoid some of the triggers and
learn to prepare for or manage others. Try different stress strategies
like Tai chi, exercise, take a nature walk, play with your pet or try journal
writing as a stress reducer.
Rest and refresh. Get plenty of sleep. Go to bed at a
regular time each day and practice good habits to get better sleep. Sleep
restores both your mind and body. However, feelings of fatigue can still set in
if you feel constantly rushed and overwhelmed when you are awake. Allow
yourself some unfocused time each day to refresh.
Notice the here and now. Take a moment to notice
each of your senses each day. Simply ‘be’ in the moment – feel the sun and wind
on your face and notice the air you are breathing. It’s easy to be caught up
thinking about the past or planning for the future instead of experiencing the
present. Making a conscious effort to be aware of your inner and outer world is
important for your mental health.
Ask for help. This can be as simple as asking a
friend to babysit while you have some time out or speaking to your doctor (GP)
about where to find a counselor or community mental health service. The
perfect, worry-free life does not exist. Everyone’s life journey has bumpy bits
and the people around you can help. If you don’t get the help you need first
off, keep asking until you do.
Take care of your body. Taking
care of yourself physically can improve your mental health. Be sure to:
1. Eat nutritious meals
2. Avoid cigarettes
3. Drink plenty of water
4. Exercise, which helps decrease
depression and anxiety and improve moods
5. Get enough sleep. Researchers
believe that lack of sleep contributes to high rates of depression
Give more of yourself to others. Volunteer
your time and energy to help someone else. You'll feel good about doing
something tangible to help someone in need — and it's a great way to meet new
people.
Quiet your mind. Try meditating or reaching out
spiritually through prayer. Relaxation exercises and prayer can improve your
state of mind and outlook on life.
Avoid alcohol and other drugs. Keep
alcohol use to a minimum and avoid other drugs. Sometimes people use alcohol
and other drugs to "self-medicate" but in reality, alcohol and other
drugs only aggravate problems.
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