This document provides positive steps for improving wellbeing and mental health. It recommends exercising regularly, spending time outdoors in green spaces, taking up hobbies, helping others in the community, eating healthy, connecting with family and friends, getting sufficient sleep, avoiding drugs and alcohol, seeing situations from a broader perspective, and accepting things that cannot be changed. Practicing these behaviors can help lift mood, reduce stress, improve physical health, increase confidence, and promote overall wellbeing.

1. Positive Steps to Wellbeing
Be kind to yourself Exercise regularly
Our culture, genes, religion, Being active helps lift our mood,
upbringing, education, gender, reduces stress and anxiety,
sexuality, beliefs, and life improves physical health, and
experiences make us who we are. gives us more energy.
We all have bad days.
Get outside, preferably in a green
Be kind to yourself. Encourage space or near water.
rather than criticise yourself. Treat yourself the
way you would treat a friend in the same situation. Find an activity you enjoy doing, and just do it.
Take up a hobby and/or Have some fun and/or be creative
learn a new skill
Having fun or being creative helps us
Increase your confidence and feel better and increases our
interest, meet others, or prepare confidence.
for finding work.
Enjoy yourself!
Help others Relax
Get involved with a community Make time for yourself. Allow
project, charity work, or simply help yourself to chill out and relax.
out someone you know. Find something that suits you –
different things work for different
As well as benefiting others, you’ll be
people.
doing something worthwhile which
will help you feel better about Breathe… (imagine a balloon in your belly,
yourself. inflating and deflating as you breathe in and out)
Eat healthily Balance sleep
Eat regularly, eat breakfast, Get into a healthy sleep routine –
eat healthily, eat fruit and including going to bed and getting
vegetables, drink water. up at the same time each day.
Connect with others Beware drink and drugs
Stay in touch with family and Avoid using alcohol (or non-prescribed
friends - make regular and drugs) to help you cope – it will only
frequent contact with them. add to your problems.
See the bigger picture Accepting: ‘It is as it is’
We all give different meanings to We tend to fight against
situations and see things from our distressing thoughts and
point of view. Broaden out your feelings, but we can learn to just
perspective and consider the bigger notice them and give up that
picture (‘the helicopter view’) struggle.
What meaning am I giving this? Is Some situations we just can’t change. We can
this fact or opinion? How would others see it? surf those waves rather than try to stop them.
Is there another way of looking at this? Allow those thoughts and sensations just to be –
How important is it, or will it be in a year’s time? they will pass.
What can I do right now that will help most?
www.getselfhelp.co.uk © Carol Vivyan 2010. Permission to use for therapy purposes. www.get.gg