What is mental wellbeing?

Your mental wellbeing is about how you're feeling right now, and how well you can cope with daily life. Our wellbeing can change from moment to moment, day to day, or month to month.

Sometimes it changes because of things that happen to us and sometimes it changes for no reason at all. It can affect the way we feel about ourselves and others, and about the things we face in our lives.

 

Why is my wellbeing important?

Having good wellbeing can help you to:

• feel and express a range of emotions
• have confidence and positive self-esteem
• have good relationships with others
• enjoy the world around you
• cope with stress and adapt when things change.

Good wellbeing doesn't mean you'll always be happy. It's normal to feel sad, angry, or low sometimes. But if you have poor wellbeing for a long time you might start to find things more difficult to cope with.

 

What can affect my wellbeing?

We're all different, so what affects your wellbeing may not be the same for somebody else. But some common things are:

• gambling-related harm
• difficult or stressful life events
• your relationships with the people around you
• the care and support you get at home and school
• your physical health – how much sleep you get, what you eat and drink, if you take drugs or alcohol, and if you have any health problems
• your environment – housing conditions, how you are treated by others, money problems
• being able to recognise and communicate your emotions.

You may experience difficulties in one or more of these areas, or even experience problems not listed here. That's okay. Everyone is different.

 

How can I look after my wellbeing?

However your wellbeing is at the moment, there are things you can do to look after and improve it.

What helps you now may not be the same as what helps you in the future. Try what you feel is comfortable and right for you, at this moment.

Here are our top tips to look after your wellbeing:

 

Get Creative

Doing something creative can help boost our self-esteem and our relationships. It can also help us feel less stressed, learn something new, and express ourselves. You could try:

• drawing, painting, photography or creative writing
• singing or playing and instrument
• dance or drama
• making something out of old materials
• … anything using your imagination and skill.

 

Learn Something New

Learning new things can be a great way of improving our confidence and giving us a sense of achievement. You could try:

• cooking or baking something new
• your own DIY project
• going to a local library, museum or gallery
• a new sport or language.

 

Exercise

Regular exercise can improve our mood and self-confidence, increase our energy and help us sleep better. You could try:

• something small, like a short walk or talking the stairs instead of the lift
• going for a walk, swim, run, or bike ride
• a group activity, like tennis, rounders or football.

Before you start exercising: if you experience compulsive or addictive feelings about exercise, medication side-effects, or other health problems, it's a good idea to talk to your doctor first.

 

Connect with others

By connecting with other people we can improve our mood, feel more accepted, share experiences, and support each other. You could try:

• organising something nice with your friends or family
• visiting a friend you haven't seen in a while
• meeting new people by joining a club.