1 • What is Mental health?

WHO stated that Mental Health is a state of mental well-being that

enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work
well, and contribute to their community. Recently, people easily get stressed and get
depressed, and of course it wouldn’t be good for our mental health.
• Yet, do you know protecting our mental health is easier than you might think? We can all
do it every day, and with simple activities that help us feel OK. It’s a bit like brushing
your teeth daily – important in preventing problems. It’s the same for our mental health.
It can also be fun!

2 • Try to relax and reduce stress. Try to think about what might help you to relax. If there's
something that helps you, try to find time to fit it into your day. For example, this could be
having a bath or shower. Or going for a walk or listening to music.
• Take a break if you need to. If you're feeling overwhelmed by a stressful situation, try to
take a break. A change of scene may help you to relax and relieve feelings of distress, even
just for a few minutes.

3 • Do something you enjoy Try to make time to do an activity you like on a regular basis. This
could be cooking a meal, getting in touch with a friend or watching TV.
• Focus on the present and take up a relaxation practice Paying attention to the present
moment or your senses can be helpful. This is sometimes called mindfulness. You can use
techniques such as meditation or breathing exercises. Or you can practice mindfulness by
paying more attention to your senses while doing things you do each day, for example, while
washing up or eating. Yoga, mindfulness, meditation and deep breathing can help reduce
overall levels of stress.

4 • Make a self-care kit. A self-care kit is filled with things that normally comfort you and help
you relax. For example, you could include your favourite book, pictures or photos, a stress ball
or fidget toy and a comforting blanket or slippers. You could make a digital self-care kit on
your phone. You could save photos, music, videos, messages or sayings that you find helpful. Or
notes to remind yourself how to manage difficult situations.
• Take care online There's lots on the internet that may affect our wellbeing. You may find
that you're spending more time online than you'd like. Or that it's making your mental health
worse. It could help to take breaks from the internet.

5 • Make social connection — especially face-to-face — a priority. Phone calls and social
networks have their place, but few things can beat the stress-busting, mood-boosting power
of quality face-to-face time with other people, especially those you love and people who
energize you.
• Stay active. Our bodies and minds are connected, staying active is as good for the brain as
it is for the body. Regular exercise or activity can have a major impact on your mental and
emotional health, relieve stress, improve memory, and help you sleep better. Moving our
bodies – with sport, gardening, dancing, cycling, walking the dog, cleaning or going to the gym,
for example – are great ways to improve our mental and physical health.
Exercise releases “feel good” hormones that reduce feelings of stress and anger.
6 • Talk to someone

If you have concerns, stresses or worries, sharing these with someone who cares is one of the
most effective ways to calm your nervous system and relieve stress. And vice versa: Sometimes
listening to others in a safe and supported way can help you develop wider perspectives.

• Appeal to your senses

Does listening to an uplifting song make you feel calm? Does squeezing a stress ball help you feel
centered? What about taking a walk in nature and enjoying the sights and sounds of the trees?
Everyone responds to sensory input a little differently, so experiment with healthy sensory
inputs (rather than unhealthy sensory inputs) to find what works best for you.
7 • Eat a brain-healthy diet

Food and drink affect our bodies, brains and mood - for good or bad.

Foods that may support your mood include beans, legumes (e.g., lentils), fatty fish rich in omega-
3s, nuts (e.g., walnuts, almonds, cashews and peanuts), avocados, dark leafy greens (e.g., spinach,
kale and Brussels sprouts), and fruit (e.g., blueberries). Dark chocolate has also been found to be
potentially beneficial for mental health.

• Don't skimp on sleep

It matters more than many people think. Sleep is our body and mind's best way to recharge and
rejuvenate. One way to get sleep better is to take a break from the stimulation of screens —
TV, phones, tablets or computers — in the hours before bedtime. Consider reading or listening
to relaxing music instead.
8 • Get closer to nature

Nature can have a really calming effect on us. For example, in Japan, some people use “forest
bathing”, which may improve their mental health. So going to a forest or wood and experiencing
the different smells, sounds and textures may really help.

• Learn to understand and manage your feelings

Many of us will know when we’re upset but not be sure what we’re feeling. Is it sadness, fear,
shame, loneliness, anger or something else? We don’t always know why we’re feeling that way.

It often helps to give our feelings our attention without judging them, without telling ourselves
we’re stupid or weak to feel the way we do. It may seem strange and uncomfortable to do this.
But practice and patience with ourselves will help.
9 • Be kind and help create a better world

If you have ever felt lonely, you will know how much it helps to have even a small
connection with someone else.

Exchanging a smile or friendly words can be comforting and lift our mood. Research shows that
being kind is good for both sides. Being kind can boost our mood, help us feel more capable,
strengthen our connections with others and even make us cope better with stress.

• Be curious and open-minded to new experiences

We can all get stuck in familiar ways, this can be self-fulfilling, with our expectations
influencing what actually happens, for good or bad. For example, we might say to ourselves:
“Things never get better” or “I’m useless” as a response to what others have said to us.

It can help to notice these thoughts and try out new ones, such as “I can change things for the
better” and “there is so much I can do”.

Life can feel more interesting, lively and rewarding when we are open to trying new experiences
and experimenting with how we do things.
10 Plan things to look forward to

Things to look forward to, including fun activities, can help us cope with difficult situations.

Making plans for things we enjoy can increase our sense of hope, which is important for our
mental health.

Get help if you need it

If you or a loved one needs support, there are many programs and resources available to you.