What is mental wellbeing?
Your mental wellbeing is about how you’re feeling right now, and how well you can cope with the pressures you face in your daily life. Our wellbeing can change from moment to moment, day to day, or month to month.
Sometimes it changes because of things that happen to us and sometimes it changes for no reason at all. It can affect the way we feel about ourselves and others, and about the challenges we face in our lives.
When we are very busy, we sometimes forget to check in with ourselves. Sometimes we don’t realise our wellbeing is suffering until we are really struggling because of it.
Why is my wellbeing important?
Having good wellbeing can help you to:
- feel and express a range of emotions
- have confidence and positive self-esteem
- have good relationships with others
- enjoy the world around you
- cope with difficult situations and adapt when things change
Good wellbeing doesn’t mean you will always be happy. It’s normal to feel sad, angry, or low sometimes. But if you have poor wellbeing for a long time you might start to find things more difficult to cope with.
What can affect my wellbeing?
We’re all different, so what affects your wellbeing may not be the same for somebody else. But some common things are:
- difficult or stressful life events
- your relationships with the people around you
- the care and support you get at home and school
- your physical health – how much sleep you get, what you eat and drink, if you take drugs or alcohol, and if you have any health problems
- your environment – housing conditions, how you are treated by others, money problems
- being able to recognise and communicate your emotions
You may experience difficulties in one or more of these areas, or even experience problems not listed here. That’s okay. Everyone is different.
How can I look after my wellbeing?
However your wellbeing is at the moment, there are things you can do to look after and improve it.
What helps you now may not be the same as what helps you in the future. Try what you feel is comfortable and right for you, at this moment.
It’s normal to want to try and deal with things on your own. But opening up to friends, family or other people you trust can help you feel supported.
Try and remember it’s always ok to ask for help.
Try it out!
What is something you can do today to help your mental wellbeing? Maybe it is talking to a friend? Maybe it is taking time to relax? Maybe it is writing in a journal. Whatever is easiest for you, try it out!
Let’s Reflect
Are there things in your life that are effecting your wellbeing? What are they? Take some time to think of this on your own or write it down in a notebook.
After thinking about things that are effecting your wellbeing, what are things you can do to address them? Take some time to think of this on your own or write it down in a notebook.
How will you improve your mental wellbeing? Share with iamtheCODE on social media your plans to help improve your wellbeing by tagging us using #wellbeing