Steps to better wellbeing

You might feel that you know plenty of people, but what is actually wrong is that you don’t feel close to them, or they don’t give you the care and attention you need. In this situation, it might help to open up about how you feel to friends and family. If you don’t feel comfortable opening up to the people you know, you could try speaking with a therapist or a using a peer support service.

It might sound simple, but controlled breathing can be a useful tool for feeling calmer quickly and reducing feelings of stress and anxiety. This technique is easy to memorise and can be practised almost anywhere. Practise this for as long as you need to feel the benefits:

• Breathe in for four seconds
• Hold your breath for four seconds
• Breathe out for four seconds
• Wait four seconds before repeating

Keep repeating this until you start to feel calmer. Look for both mental and physical signs, like your thoughts and your heartbeat slowing down.

You may already know what triggers your negative thoughts and feelings. If you do, try using this breathing technique if you know you will encounter a certain trigger, or immediately after.

This short video shows you how to breathe which can really help reduce feelings of anxiety and stress and get you into the right frame of mind for sleep.  See the links for other breathing exercises you can try.

“Another thing that has worked for me is to lay down on my back and rest both my hands on my stomach/chest. Concentrating on my breathing and feeling my natural up and down movement makes me stop overthinking.”

Try to get enough sleep

Getting too little or too much sleep can have a big impact on how you feel. See our page on Sleep for more information.

Think about your diet

Eating regularly and keeping your blood sugar stable can make a difference to your mood and energy levels. Read more here.

Avoid illegal drugs

While you might feel drugs might help cope with difficult feelings, in the long run they can make you feel worse and can prevent you from dealing with underlying problems. Speak to a GP if you think you need medication to help.

Don’t drink to cope

Again, the problems will still be there when you sober up, so much better to get help from the wonderful organisations and help lines there to support you.

Spend time outside

Spending time in green space can help your wellbeing. Read more here.

Try to do some physical activity

Exercise can be really helpful for your mental wellbeing, and some people find it helps improve their self-esteem. Read more here.

Spend time with animals

Some people find spending time around animals can help with feelings of loneliness, whether through owning a pet or spending time around animals in their natural environment. If it is possible where you live, you could try visiting a local community or city farm – the organisation Social Farms and Gardens has a list of outdoor community projects across the UK, many of which have animals available to the public.