This week is Mental Health Awareness Week and this year the theme is all about movement for your mind.

 

The Every Mind Matters campaign encourages and helps us to ‘find your little big thing’ hero-ing the little things we can do, which can make a big difference to our mental health.

 

Making time for your mental wellbeing is important – and embedding these little things as part of your routine can help you feel better and more in control. These little things can include:

 

• Getting physically active – getting active is a natural mood booster – try making it part of your routine
• Managing your thoughts and feelings – learn to catch, check and change unhelpful thoughts with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
• Talking to someone you trust – talking to someone we trust about our feelings can improve our mental wellbeing
• Getting the most from your sleep – like avoiding screen-time an hour before bed or getting out of bed and doing something simple until you feel tired again
• Getting closer to nature – Regularly spending time in nature can boost your mood and help you relax
• Plan ahead – planning something to look forward to can counter boredom and energise you

 

Every Mind Matters website has lots of NHS-approved tips and advice to help you ‘find your little big thing’. Get a free, personalised Mind Plan – a mental health action plan that provides practical tips to help you deal with anxiety and stress, boost your mood, sleep better, and feel more in control.