Five steps towards better mental health

 Today on World Mental Health Day, the Public Health Agency (PHA) is encouraging people to adopt five simple steps to improve their mental wellbeing.

Looking after mental health is just as important as taking care of physical health, so the PHA is urging people to look at ways of improving their mental health and wellbeing.

The Five Ways to Wellbeing were developed by the New Economics Foundation (NEF) and are:

• Connect – engage with the people around you – family, friends, colleagues and neighbours, at home, work, school, or in your local community. Think of these as the cornerstones of your life and invest time in developing them.

• Be active – exercising can make you feel good.

• Take notice – be aware of the world around you and what you are feeling. Reflecting on your experiences will help you appreciate what matters to you.

• Keep learning – try something new or rediscover an old interest. Learning new things will make you more confident as well as being fun.
 
• Give – do something nice for a friend or a stranger. Seeing yourself, and your happiness, linked to the wider community can be incredibly rewarding and creates connections with the people around you.

Fiona Teague, Regional Manager for Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing Promotion with the PHA, said: “The importance of looking after physical health is well known, but it is just as important to look after our mental health. Physical and mental health are closely connected. Poor mental health can lead to poor physical health and vice versa.

“By taking simple steps such as engaging more with your friends or family, or taking up a new hobby, you can improve your mental health. This can all lead to better self-esteem and increased confidence. I encourage people to use World Mental Health Day as a starting point to introduce these simple steps into their everyday lives.”

Further information on the Five Steps to Wellbeing and is available on www.mindingyourhead.info