Top tips for improving your mental wellbeing (Blog)

Sleep is essential to our wellbeing, research shows that Melatonin (the sleep hormone) is released at different times during the teenage years sometimes disrupting sleeping patterns and routines.

Things that can help you to get a good night's sleep include setting a regular bed time and trying to wake up at the same time each day, winding down with a book or warm bath and avoiding electronical devices before bed.

When you eat, it’s not just your body you’re feeding – it’s your mind too! As a young person, your body is going through many physical and mental changes. Eating a healthy, balanced diet will help your body to grow and develop properly – and support your mental health too.

Aim for an average of at least 60 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity a day across the week, this could be going for a walk or run or joining in with one of our Health, Wellbeing and Sport live workouts! Reduce the time spent sitting or lying down and break up long periods of online learning or not moving with some physical activity.

Everyone has that one thing they’ve always wanted to do, learn or get better at. What’s yours? Do you want to be a better cook? Learn a language? Get fitter? Get creative? Learn an instrument? Get better at drawing?...the possibilities are endless!

Over the years, we can get into unhelpful thinking habits. Once you can identify your unhelpful thinking styles, you can start to notice them – they very often occur just before and during distressing situations. Once you can notice them, then that can help you to challenge or distance yourself from those thoughts, and see the situation in a different and more helpful way.

A gratitude journal can help you to focus on the positives in your life. Try writing about three items you are grateful for at the end of each day. Reading back over your journal entries can be a great pick-me-up when you're feeling stressed or down. Try noticing the subtle positive things in your day like having your favourite breakfast or enjoying the sunshine through your window.

Tell the people in your life how much you appreciate them too. From friends and family to anyone you encounter in your daily life, everyone likes to know that they're appreciated. Their positive reactions can help put you in a positive mood too!

Giving to others shows kindness, empathy and support. When you give to others, it can also have a positive effect on your own mental wellbeing.

Small acts of kindness towards other people like asking your friend how they're doing or smiling at someone in the street or larger acts - such as volunteering in your local community - can give you a sense of purpose and make you feel happier and more satisfied about life.

Connecting with others and forming good relationships with family, friends and the wider community are important for mental wellbeing. Nurturing our relationships can help us feel happier and more secure, and can give us a greater sense of purpose. Social media makes it easy to keep in touch with our friends and family.

Paying more attention to the present moment – to your own thoughts and feelings, and to the world around you – can improve your mental wellbeing.

Mindfulness is a practical way to notice thoughts, physical sensations, sights, sounds, smells - anything we might not normally notice because our heads are too busy in the future or in the past - thinking about what we need to do, or going over what we have done.

This is a great way to remind ourselves about all the things we can do in our daily lives to support our mental and physical wellbeing during lockdown.