Mental Heath Awareness | My 5 top tips

Hello Everybody,

It's been a little while since I last posted but I wanted to discuss an important topic with you all. If some of you didn't know it was Mental Health Awareness Week this month and taking care of you mind for me is as important as taking care of your body. Having suffered from anxiety, panic attacks and depression throughout my life I wanted to share some tips that help me when I'm feeling low and can hopefully help others.

1. Take time for yourself. Life is stressful and comes with it's hurdles, sometimes we just need to take a break and not overwork or stress ourselves. Find something you enjoy doing for relaxation eg. reading a book or watching a film and make sure to do it! When we do things we enjoy our stress levels lower and we can think clearly again.

2. Practice self care. This maybe a cliche tip but it's vital we take care of our bodies. By doing small tasks such as having a shower or bath, doing a face mask, staying hydrated or exercising our bodies will thank us and in turn so will our brains.

3. Switch off. One of the biggest causes of anxiety for me is social media. A lot of good can come from it but also a lot of bad. By seeing other people's lives we start to analyse our own and pick out all the negatives or things we are not happy with. We often compare ourselves to those we see online and this is never a good thing. It's okay to switch off and log out of those apps. Take in the world around you and not through a screen.

4. Speak to someone. Talking through your anxieties can be helpful. It's more than likely people want to help you in anyway they can and listen to you. Getting things off your chest that are weighing heavy on you shoulders always feels good!

5. Get outside. My final tip is to go outdoors and get fresh air. When we're feeling low many of us will just spend the day in bed and shut ourselves off from the world. In my opinion this is one of the worst things you can do. It makes you feel unproductive, tired and a lot of the time miserable. Being outdoors is great for the body and mind, going on a walk is a form of easy exercise and helps your brain stay active. Fresh air has been shown to help digest food more effectively, improve blood pressure and heart rate, strengthen the immune system and strengthen family ties, all leading to a healthier you.

I hope these tips helps just one of you out there reading this. If you are suffering from depression or are really struggling, below are some emergency helplines for you to call.

Remember to look after yourself and know that you are not alone,

NSJ