Following these tips can help improve and maintain your mental and emotional wellbeing if you are living with a mental health problem.
Making a note of your daily mood, or several times a day, can help you track how you’re feeling. Taking notice in this way can help you spot the early warning signs, and may help you to find strategies for alleviating negative feelings or situations.
There are lots of apps online, as well as pretty and stylish paper mood diaries, or you can create your own or print a free template.
Once you’ve got to grips with tracking your mood and spotting the early warning signs that you may become unwell, seek support ASAP.
You may want to find support if you are:
Worrying more than usual
Finding it difficult to find enjoyment in things
Feeling overwhelmed by emotions
Feeling you’re struggling with day-to-day life
If you have spotted your early warning signs and are aware you are about to experience a bad patch, make sure you have plenty of healthy food in the house so you can keep eating right, and supporting your physical and gut health while you are mentally healing. If you aren’t able to go to the shop, ask a friend or neighbour to help you, or do the shopping online.
Have things you love around you that you can reach for during a bad patch. This might be a dvd boxset, some music, an instrument or a drawing pad or colouring books. Concentrating on a hobby can help pull us out of negative thoughts or patterns, while we heal in the background.
Don’t feel you need to carry on as normal. Take things one step at a time, and if it is difficult for you to cope, reach out for Team You.
Make a plan of action for when things get bad, so you and your support network know what the next steps are in the process. See the Mind Page on Crisis Plans for help with this.
Tell your support network your early warning signs, and how they can support you. This can be helping you to organise commitments or medication, listening to you or helping you get to appointments either by taking you or helping you on public transport, taking you for a walk, babysitting or doing a bit of cleaning.
If things are really difficult, ask your GP about support services in the area. Tell your GP if there are any treatments you have found helpful in the past. This could be counselling and talking therapies, and your doctor may recommend medication short or long term.
Find your support network to make sure you always have the support you need, and so you know you aren’t alone. Find people you love to work with and who understand and help. This is Team You.
If you are feeling overwhelmed by your feelings or are having thoughts of self harm or suicide, you can reach the Samaritans any time of day or night and talk to people who can help.
Seeking help isn’t always easy, especially when you’re not feeling well. It can take time and may not be straightforward. But it’s important to remember that you’re not alone, and that you deserve support.
© Mind. This information is published in full at mind.org.uk
© Mind. This information is published in full at mind.org.uk
Being in work can help with our mental health, as it assures us of our capability, is part of our routine, keeps us in regular contact with co-workers, and alleviates financial concerns with a source of income.
However, we can also find that work can be detrimental to our mental health. This might be stress due to workload or working conditions, difficulties with co-workers, or difficulties with the type or amount of work you are doing.
Consider discussing your mental health difficulties with your employer. Between you, your employer and Occupational Health you may be able to find ways to make it easier or make reasonable adjustments.
