How to look after your mental wellbeing

Last updated: 23 August, 2021

People walking in a wood with the sun shining through the trees

It’s important to look after your mental wellbeing:

to feel good in yourself and connected to others
to cope with stress in times of uncertainty
if you're self isolating

What you need

a PC, Mac, tablet or smartphone
access to wifi
pens and a notebook (optional)

Top tips

1Practise self-care

It's essential to treat yourself as well as possible:

make sure you’re getting enough sleep
eat a balanced diet with lots of fruit and vegetables and stay hydrated
try to maintain a routine of waking up, getting ready and sleeping at the same time each day
be kind to yourself – if you feel like resting, then allow yourself to do so

2Exercise

Exercise releases lots of endorphins and reduces anxiety. If you feel up to it you could try:

a walk around the block or to a nearby park or green space
some of the exercise videos available online, such as yoga with Adriene, the NHS fitness studio or PE with Joe Wicks
an exercise app

Look at our guide on how to keep fit during lockdown for more inspiration.

3Keep a journal

Writing in a private journal every day can help you to work through your thoughts and reduce stress. Some journal ideas could be:

checking in with yourself and how you’re feeling
reflecting on what’s happened during your day
working through something that you’re going through

4Create support networks

It’s useful to have a group of family and friends that you can check in with. There are plenty of ways to stay in touch:

by finding things to do in your local area
by reaching out virtually on Skype, Zoom, House Party, Jitsi or Google Hangouts
by writing a letter to family and friends
by joining online activities. If you’re unsure how to join in, take a look at our guide on how to attend online activities

5Meditate

Meditation can help you to better handle negative feelings and emotions and reduce anxiety. There are plenty of support materials out there:

Head Space is offering free meditation support during this time
Calm is offering a variety of meditations for both adults and children
The Chopra Foundation is offering free daily meditations and journal prompts for 21 days
online yoga and meditation sessions

6Look out for others

Helping other people can give you a sense of purpose.

Find groups on Co-operate for local volunteering opportunities.

7Seek professional help

Co-op is working in partnership with Mind, Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) and Inspire to bring communities together to improve mental wellbeing.

If you or someone you know needs support you can get help:

contact Mind for information and support in England and Wales on 0300 123 3393* (lines open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday) Text: 86463 or email info@mind.org.uk
contact SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health) for information and support in Scotland on 0344 800 0550† (Lines open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Closed bank holidays)
email info@samh.org.uk
call Inspire for information and support in NI on 0289 032 8474‡ (Lines open 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Closed bank holidays)
call Samaritans for support anywhere 24/7 on 116 123􀅒 or email jo@samaritans.org
text SHOUT for support anywhere on 85258**

To find out where else to find mental health support, read our 'Be kind to your mind' guide.

* Phone calls from UK landlines are charged at local rates. Charges from mobile telephones vary considerably. The charge for your call will depend on your mobile phone provider and the contract that you have with them. Mind does not get any money from telephone calls.

† This is a low cost number.

‡ Freephone. Callers can receive signposting information for mental health services from this number but it is not a helpline.

Those experiencing distress or despair should call Lifeline 0808 808 8000. Lifeline counsellors are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to listen and help, in confidence.

􀅒 This number is free to call from both landlines and mobiles, including pay-as-you-go mobiles. You do not need to have any credit or call allowance on your plan to call 116 123.

** You can text SHOUT free and anonymously from EE, O2, Vodafone, 3, Virgin Mobile, BT Mobile, GiffGaff, Tesco Mobile and Telecom Plus.

SHOUT are working closely with all other mobile operators to have the same arrangement, but at this time, cannot confirm that if you are with a mobile operator that is not listed above that your messages will be free and will not appear on your phone bill.

Mind is a registered charity in England & Wales no. 219830. SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health) is a registered charity in Scotland no. SC008897. Inspire Wellbeing is a registered charity in NI no. 103470.