Encouraging Good Mental Health

• Develop flexibility. Having too high expectations of 

yourself or others leads to disappointment. Similarly 

having very rigid opinions sets you up for stress. Be 

open to new ideas and alternative ways of thinking and 

doing things. Just because you have always approached 

a problem a particular way doesn’t mean it is the only 

approach or the even best approach. Asking yourself how 

much something really matters can change your outlook 

and reduce your stress. 

• Accept all your feelings. Pay attention to the feelings that 

you may be less inclined to acknowledge or share such 

as sadness and anger. Being able to express them can 

improve your mental health. 

• Have fun and make time to do the things you enjoy. When 

life becomes busy the things that we enjoy are often 

the first casualties. Schedule time for them, the positive 

and life affirming boost that they offer will help you get 

through other life challenges. 

• Find ways to relax. There are many books, online videos 

and apps with relaxation techniques available. Yoga, 

meditation and massage can help as well as activities that 

involve quiet concentration such as adult colouring books 

or gardening.

• Get enough sleep. Sleep requirements differ from person 

to person and by the time we are adult most of us will 

have a pretty good idea of what we need. Some people 

are naturally early risers whilst some are night owls, some 

need 8 hours per night and some will function very well on 

6 hours per night. Things that encourage good sleep are 

having a regular bedtime and wake time, avoiding long 

daytime naps, being out in daylight for at least 20 minutes 

each day, exercise and avoiding looking at screens for the 

hour before you go to sleep. 

• Assertive communication. Being assertive is not about 

being stroppy and demanding but is more about 

respecting your own and others’ rights to be listened 

to. It encompasses a range of skills to express yourself 

including saying how you feel and what you want honestly 

and appropriately without becoming aggressive or it’s 

opposite – burying your feelings. Hiding how you feel 

can lead to a build up of feeling inside which can then 

lead to health problems or an inappropriate outburst. 

Assertiveness training classes and books can improve 

your ability to handle such situations. 

• Review. Take time to review the direction of your life 

periodically. We can want to change but change is not 

easy because it involves facing the unknown. Start with 

small achievable changes that add up. 

• Deal with problems. Being unsure or feeling overwhelmed 

can lead to procrastination. Although temporarily you get 

away from what is making you anxious it can create a 

feeling of dread and irritability because of what is not 

dealt with. If you find yourself in this situation try breaking 

a problem down and dealing with it bit by bit, or ask for 

some help.

• Develop relationships that nurture you and increase your 

sense of connection with others. Steer clear of those 

who criticise and undermine you or make unreasonable 

demands of you.

• Self-care. If there is a problem taking as much care of 

yourself as you do for others it may be useful to train 

yourself to think differently about this.

When to Seek Help

From time to time everyone experiences emotional pain 

but sometimes the distress is particularly severe or long-

lasting and interferes with your ability to function in daily 

life. If you are experiencing sadness, grief, anxiety or anger 

that is persistent professional help can be useful. If you, or 

someone you care about, is struggling with their mental 

health here are some signs to look out for:

• Unable to cope with common problems and normal daily 

activities.

• No longer finding any joy in the things that used to bring 

pleasure

• Changes in eating patterns and difficulty sleeping.

• Thinking about suicide, lacking hope, feeling despair.

• Feelings of low self worth, low confidence.

• Irritability or anger.

• Frequent changes in mood.

Concerned friends and relatives 

When someone you care about becomes mentally distressed 

it is likely to create strong reactions amongst their friends 

and relatives. It can be frightening to be with them and 

frightening not knowing when they will recover. You may 

feel helpless and it is important to seek out resources such 

as information and support, even just finding someone to 

talk to about the situation can be very helpful. It is possible 

to take action to improve mental health before serious 

problems arise.

The Foundation for Positive Mental Health: 

www.foundationforpositivementalhealth.com 

Mind, the mental health charity: 

www.mind.org.uk

BABCP, British Association for Behavioural & Cognitive 

Psychotherapies: www.babcp.com 

BACP, The British Association for Therapy and 

Psychotherapy: www.bacp.co.uk

UKCP, The United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy: