Mental health and wellbeing

NHS 111

You can access local crisis services directly by calling 111 and selecting the mental health option. Calls will be answered by a trained mental health professional who will be able to quickly assess your situation and determine whether an urgent referral is required.

You can call for yourself, or for someone else. NHS 111 is for all ages, including children and young people, and those with neurodevelopmental needs. People who are deaf or have hearing loss, can access NHS 111 online.

In emergency situations where there is an immediate risk to life, call 999 or go to A&E.

All of us can feel overwhelmed, anxious or low at some point in our lives. For some people these feeling can be more overwhelming and ongoing than for others. If you feel this way, you are not alone.

It can be difficult just to understand our feelings, let alone talk about them, or indeed find someone to talk to.  However, the council and many other organisations can offer support.

Why is it important?

Good mental health and wellbeing is an important part of our physical health, our relationships, our education and our work. It can help us to cope with life’s problems and enjoy the good things that life has to offer. There are things we can actively do to protect our wellbeing and they can be simple and fun,

Connections

Good relationships are important for your mental wellbeing. Things you can do include:

  • having dinner with your family
  • visiting a friend
  • having lunch with a colleague
  • volunteering at a local community group

Talk about how you feel and ask others how they are feeling. Don’t be scared to ask for or seek help.

Be active

Step outside, go for a walk, run. Find a physical activity you enjoy and that suits your level of mobility and fitness. Regular physical activity is not only great for your physical health and fitness, but it is also associated with lower rates of depression and anxiety.

Take notice

Pay attention to the present moment (mindfulness). Be curious, catch sight of the beautiful, savour the moment! Try this when you're eating lunch, walking to work, spending time with friends and family.

Keep learning

Learning new skills can improve your wellbeing by boosting your self-confidence and raising self-esteem, helping you build a sense of purpose and connect with others. You could try learning to cook something new, work on a DIY project, sign up for a course at a local college or try a new hobby.

Doing something you are good at will boost your confidence and help you feel better about yourself.

Give to others

Offer small acts of kindness to other people or perform larger ones like volunteering in your local community. Saying’ thank you’, smiling, asking friends, family or colleagues how they are and really listening to their answer, offering to help someone or volunteering at a school or care home can all be very rewarding activities.

Creating

Ideas include:

  • drawing
  • puzzles
  • baking and cooking
  • knitting and sewing
  • DIY
  • writing
  • gardening

These activities stimulate your imagination. They help you increase control over your life and inspire change and growth. Sometimes doing nothing is the best thing to do so be kind to yourself and take a break and look around. Savour the moment!

Accept yourself

We’re all unique and that is something to celebrate. Try not to compare yourself to other people on social media, we all have something to offer. When you accept yourself, you give yourself a confidence boost. This will enable you to live life in a more positive way.

Eating well, stop smoking, and limit the amount of alcohol we drink - alcohol is a depressant! These are all positive steps we can take to improve our health and wellbeing.

Checking in with other people - prompts and questions to use in wellbeing conversations:

  • How are you?
  • How are you feeling?
  • I have noticed....
  • What support do you need?
  • What do you need from me right now?
  • How are you finding your current workload?
  • What challenges are you dealing with?

Speak to your GP

If self-help is not right for you and you remain concerned about your mental health, you should see your GP for advice and treatment.