Healthy Body, Healthy Mind! Mental health & well-being
Aims and Objectives: To understand what is meant by good mental health. To identify 5 steps to help achieve good mental health and well-being
Mental Health & Well being What do we mean by good mental health? Work in pairs to come up with a definition.
Mental Health & Well being Being mentally healthy is about having the strength and support to overcome the difficulties and challenges we can all face at times in our lives, and knowing when and where to get help. Being mentally healthy is also about having confidence and self esteem, to be able to make decisions and to believe in ourselves
Why is mental health and well being an important issue? Good mental health is important because it means that you are more likely to: Have a happier life. Be more healthy. Live Longer. Be able to work. Have good relationships.
Things that affect my wellbeing positively ( make me happier) Things that affect my wellbeing negatively (make me less happy)
Everyone will have ups and downs in their lives and feel stressed or anxious-these feelings are quite normal reactions…and indeed, they can be useful since they act as warning signs to make us stop and think about how we feel. There are simple things that you can do to look after your well being and to help you get through stressful times like exams…and if things get a bit tough there are people who can help…
5 steps to help achieve good mental health Connect Be active Learn Give Work
Connect Developing relationships with family, friends, colleagues and neighbours will enrich your life and provide you with support.
Be active Sports and hobbies such as dancing, gardening etc or just taking a stroll will make you feel good and maintain agility and fitness Benefits of being active: less tension, a natural energy boost improved sleep a sense of achievement focus in life and motivation less anger or frustration a healthy appetite better social life having fun.
Learn Whether fixing a bike, learning an instrument or cooking-the challenge of learning something brings satisfaction, gives confidence and opens up opportunities Learning something new challenges your brain – which is a great way to stay healthy and sharp. Your brain is like any other organ in your body – the more you use it, the better it performs.
Give Helping friends and strangers links your happiness to a wider community and is very rewarding!
Volunteering increases self-confidence. Volunteering can provide a healthy boost to your self-confidence, self-esteem, and life satisfaction. You are doing good for others and the community, which provides a natural sense of accomplishment. Your role as a volunteer can also give you a sense of pride and identity. And the better you feel about yourself, the more likely you are to have a positive view of your life and future goals. Volunteering combats depression. Reducing the risk of depression is another important benefit of volunteering. A key risk factor for depression is social isolation. Volunteering keeps you in regular contact with others and helps you develop a solid support system, which in turn protects you against stress and depression when you’re going through challenging times.
Work Work meets important psychological needs in societies where employment is the norm. Good work, characterised by job security and control is associated with better physical and mental health than worklessness. Young people not in employment, education or training (NEET) Oldham England Best Worst 8% 7.5 6.7 12.3
Look after your physical and mental health Look after yourself, get enough sleep, eat a healthy diet and get plenty of exercise Reward yourself when something goes well Forgive yourself when you get things wrong and learn from it Make time for the things you enjoy Take time to talk to family and friends Treat yourself from time to time and relax!
Don’t delay in getting help if you think you need it: At college: talk to your personal tutor or trusted teacher. Outside of college: family, friends, GP Websites: Get connected is a free confidential helpline service for young people under 25 www.getconnected.org.uk Kooth offer a free online counselling service at www.kooth.com