Improve your mental wellbeing

We all need good mental health and wellbeing. It's essential to living happy and healthy lives. Here are some simple tips that can make a big difference to improve your mental wellbeing. Start today!

What’s good mental health?

It's something we should think about all the time and really invest in, just like with our physical health, not something we should just do if we are struggling, or feeling low, anxious or stressed.

Keeping on top of our mental wellbeing is not just good for us now but also helps us deal with difficult times in the future. It can also reduce our risk of physical health problems.

There are many things we can do to look after our mental health and wellbeing every day. Start with these 7 top tips.

Reframe unhelpful thoughts

How we think, feel and behave are linked. Sometimes we develop patterns of behaviour and thoughts that are unhelpful. Recognising them, and taking steps to think about things differently, can improve your mental health and wellbeing.

Take a look at this short video to get some practical tips on how you can challenge your thoughts and start to break unhelpful cycles.

Be in the present

We can gain a better perspective if we take time to be aware of ourselves and be in the present moment, noticing our own thoughts and feelings, and the world around us. Sometimes this is known as being more mindful.

Mindfulness and meditation help you to be in the present. Mindful breathing can help you feel more calm.

Sleep well

Good-quality sleep makes a big difference to how we feel physically and mentally, so it's important to get enough.

Get some simple tips for improving how you sleep here.

Connect with others

Spending quality time with family or friends, talking to someone about how we are feeling, or finding ways to help other people can help you stop from feeling lonely and improve your mental health and wellbeing. This can be by phone, online, in person – always best!

There are many social conferencing media such as Zoom that allow group contact. Social contact is good for your mental health – even if you do not feel like engaging with other people when you are low or anxious.

Live a healthy life

Keeping active, enjoying the outdoors and having a healthy, balanced diet all impact how we feel. Ending bad habits like smoking, and cutting down on alcohol and caffeine can have a positive effect on our mood.

Do something for yourself

From enjoying your favourite hobby, learning something new or simply taking time to relax, it's important to do things that make you happy, like trying a new hobby or learning a new skill.

Setting goals and learning new skills can be a great way to meet people, build your self-esteem and feel a sense of achievement. There are many free courses available from the Open University

Write a letter to future you

Reminding yourself of what's keeping you feeling positive right now can help you through those more difficult times in the future. When you're feeling good, think about what you would want to tell your future self if things get tougher and you find you need more support.

Get Your Mind Plan here and try some of the tips from Your Mind Plan. Write down the ones that helped you, include ideas of how to get started and anything else that you have learnt about yourself.

If you need help: