Goal Setting

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To improve mental wellbeing, it is important to give yourself a 'purpose', you can do this by setting yourself a challenge. The challenge itself does not need to be anything wild or unrealistic, but something that will give you a sense of achievement once completed.

For example, you may set yourself the challenge of cooking a healthy meal, going for a walk, joining a club.

If you set yourself realistic goals, when you achieve them you will feel satisfied, proud and positive - all emotions which will aid your mental wellbeing.

As an employer, friend or family, it can help to discuss with the person experiencing a mental health problem about what they would like to achieve and then help them to work towards it. Find out the person's motivation and then check in with them regularly to offer support.

We need to remember that even small things can be a challenge for people with a mental health problem.

Support from Peers

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Having support from friends, family and colleagues is invaluable for someone with a mental health problem.

Talking about the way you feel with someone that you trust can help you to see the problem from a different perspective or help you to come up with some useful solutions. Often just having someone there to listen can improve wellbeing significantly.

Maintaining positive relationships is beneficial to everyone's mental health as it can make you feel confident, supported and cared for. When things are getting difficult to cope with, these people can make all the difference.

For people without this support network or without adequate social contact, loneliness can become a problem and can have a negative impact on wellbeing.

Sleep

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A good night's sleep is essential for everyone, not just people with a mental health problem. In fact, having trouble sleeping can have a serious impact on your mental wellbeing, making you more irritable or increasing the frequency of negative thoughts.

To get a good night's sleep try the following techniques:

Turn off electrical devices ad these can stimulate your brain, making it harder to sleep
Make sure the light and temperature are suitable: the room should ideally be cool and dark
Ensure any tasks are completed earlier in the day or evening so that you have time to wind-down before bed
Keep a notebook by your bed for any urgent or distressing thoughts in the night - writing thoughts down helps to stop you from obsessively thinking about them
Avoid caffeine, alcohol or rich food before bedtime
If you can't fall asleep then get up, do something quiet such as read a book, and go back to bed when you feel tired

Healthy Eating

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Eating healthy is essential for everyone. A good diet can have a positive impact on both mental and physical health and makes you feel more energetic, happier and more resistant to illness.

To maintain a healthy diet you should include plenty of the following: fruit, vegetables and lean proteins as well as plenty of water to keep hydrated. Meals should be eaten regularly.

There is also plenty of food that can cause problems, these consist of food with high levels of sugar, caffeine, alcohol, hydrogenated fats and additives, so it's best to stay clear of any processed foods, including pastries, ready meals and sugary snacks.

Caffeine can be found in coffee, tea, many fizzy drinks and chocolate, is perhaps the most hazardous substance to mental health. Caffeine is a stimulant and can cause anxiety, depression and nervousness due to the behaviour-modifying qualities it possesses. For a person with a mental health problem, caffeinated drinks can trigger their symptoms and so should only be consumed in small amounts.

Exercise

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Exercise is well known to improve mental health and doctors will frequently encourage their patients to uptake exercise in order to help relieve their symptoms.

Physical activity can help reduce the feelings of anxiety, stress and depression due to the endorphins your body releases when you exercise. Endorphins are known as 'feel good' hormones as they trigger a positive feeling in your body and reduce the perception of pain, much like a sedative.

Any kind of activity would count, this could include walking, gardening or a fitness class, and all activity will help you feel better. It may not feel like it before you begin, but once you have started it will! It is good to try and choose an activity that you enjoy, as it will make it a little easier to get started.

Additionally, sports activities can give you a goal and a purpose to work towards, providing you with focus, determination and a distraction from everyday life.

Mindfulness

This means becoming more aware of the present moment. It means paying attention to your senses, including how you feel, what you are thinking, concentrating on your breathing and noticing what you can see, smell, hear and taste.

Mindfulness can improve mental wellbeing, if practised regularly, it helps change the way you think about things and reduces stress and anxiety, making it an essential tool for people to have.

Mindfulness can help you to understand yourself better and enjoy the world more. It is a way of reconnecting with the things around us and encourages us to live in the present moment, rather than worrying about the past or future.

It can take a while for a person to master the art of mindfulness, but taking a moment every day to notice life around you can make a real difference in the long run.

For a person with a mental health problem, mindfulness can play a big role in the road to recovery.

There is some mindfulness therapy, such as talking therapy or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), this can help you to focus on thoughts, beliefs and attitudes so that you can look objectively at what you are experiencing. They can also help you to identify any negative patterns of thinking, talk about them and identify any behaviours that are causing you difficulties. This can result in you dealing with your feeling better and can change the way you cope with your problems, improve your relationships and make everyday living a little easier.

Even if you do not do mindfulness in a formal way, practising each day can reduce stress levels and improve your mood.