How to support positive mental wellbeing

How to support positive mental wellbeing

How to support positive mental wellbeing

It’s completely normal to feel more anxious or stressed at times. It’s important to acknowledge how you feel and know there are resources and strategies available to support you. Read how we suggest you nurture positive wellbeing.  

 

Create your own structure 

Structure can be really helpful for our mental health. Having a routine or doing the same activities each day, can help create a comfortable and familiar space if you feel anxious. Here are some ways to build structure into your day:  

Separate your day into morning, afternoon and evening to give yourself some structure. Our daily routine planner can help give structure, as can our other daily or weekly planners.  

  • Try to eat a balanced diet with healthy foods. 
  • Aim to go to sleep before midnight. 
  • Explore new topics of interest, you could do this by reading or watching movies. 
  • Try to fit some exercise into your daily routine, at a level that works for you, for example a daily walk or jog.  
  • Try new relaxation techniques like these breathing techniques. 
  • Keep active. 

 

Even a small amount of activity will have a positive impact on your mental health. Here are some activities to try.  

  • If you are able to do get outdoors then try to make the most of sunlight, fresh air and nature each day.  
  • Keep active around the house, for example, helping with the hoovering, cooking or cleaning. 
  • Break up long periods of sitting down by getting up for at least five minutes each hour. 
  • Take regular breaks and spend them doing something you enjoy, for example reading or putting on your favourite music or meeting friends. 

 

Take care with news and information 

Speculation or inflammatory news articles can fuel anxiety and worry. Having access to limited and quality information about what's going on in the world can help you feel more in control. It also prevents ‘fake news’ from spreading. Here are our tips.

  • Read news from reputable sources, like GOV.UK, the NHS and the BBC. 
  • Limit the time you spend checking the news. 
  • Follow positive social media accounts that share more upbeat news and stories. For example, accounts like @the_happy_broadcast on Instagram only post good news.   

 

Stress clues 

If you feel anxious, you may start to notice a change in your mood and behaviour. Everyone has different ways of expressing these feelings. By being aware of your own, and others’ stress clues, you can help to be proactive in using your unique coping strategies. Here are some stress clues to look out for: 

  • Mental clues: this could include memory problems, inability to concentrate, constant worrying and anxious or racing thoughts. 
  • Emotional clues: moodiness, feeling overwhelmed, a sense of loneliness and agitation or an inability to relax. 
  • Physical clues: diarrhoea, dizziness, rapid heartbeat or nausea. 
  • Behavioural clues: eating more or less, an increase in behaviours of distress like snapping or shouting. 

 

Know your normal 

Knowing your own version of ‘normal’ helps you understand what behaviours, moods and activities are normal for you. By understanding how these might of changed recently, you and those around you, will recognise when you don’t feel yourself. 

Our Know Your Normal toolkit, helps young people identify their version of ‘normal’.  

 

Further resources  

Read more about techniques to support self-regulation during challenging situations. 

Download our top tips for young people on managing anxiety.

Download our top tips for family members on managing anxiety.