Take a step towards better mental health

^{Moving into a care home from your own home or recently retiring from work can be a big shift in people’s lives, particularly when it comes to finding a sense of purpose. We all need a reason to get out of bed in the morning, just now in later life there may need to change in motivation and purpose. It’s not always easy to just pick a new hobby or interest, spending a bit of time thinking about what skills you do possess and how they could be best utilised to bring not only fulfilment to yourself but others.}

^{Like the old adage goes, 'a problem shared is a problem halved'. Talking about worries or concerns however big or small they may be can make those worries easier to manage. Sharing with others will also help you to rationalise your thoughts and make sense of what you are feeling or going through, it will also make you feel supported and not alone. Say what you feel, don’t be embarrassed by what you may be going though, it is not a sign of weakness. You may find others begin to open up too as they have similar worries or concerns.}

^{Each and every single one of us will have times when we can offer help and times where we should be reaching out for help. It is in these times when we need to either be friend or need to have a friend.}

^{There are probably more people out there willing to help you than you realise, but not every person will be suitable to help with every issue. You may feel hesitant to reach out, but remember how it makes you feel when you when someone reaches out to you for help. Many people really welcome the opportunity to help and quite often it’s relieving to know that we all need a little hand from time to time.}

^{Keeping yourself as active as possible is really important for your wellbeing. You don’t need to a marathon runner or an elite athlete, very simple activities that raise your heart rate for around 20 minutes a day will not only benefit you physically but the endorphins and feel good hormones your body releases during exercise will help to keep your mental health good. Keeping your brain active is just as important as keeping your body active, solving puzzles, getting creative or reading can help to keep the mind healthy and stave off feelings of anxiety and depression.}

^{Light activities might include; getting up to make a cup of tea, moving around your home, walking at a slow pace, cleaning and dusting, making the bed and standing up.}

^{Moderate activities may include; brisk walking, water aerobics, using a foot pedal bike, dancing, table games, pushing a lawn mower and hiking.} 

^{Activities to keeping the mind active include; drawing and painting, creative writing such as poetry, bingo, jigsaw puzzles, sudoku, crosswords, word searches, chess and strategy games, reading and card games.} 

^{Eating healthily will have huge benefits not only to your physical health but also your mental health and general all round wellbeing. The stomach and brain are very closely linked with hormones and signals flowing both ways into each other, therefore a healthy body can really lead to a healthy mind.}

^{If you can keep doing the things that bring you joy, then keep doing them. Doing things that we enjoy bring us pleasure in life and make us feel good about ourselves, and helps to keep us physically and mentally active. Hobbies, pasttimes and leisure pursuits give us chances to socialise with others, make new connections and also gives us a bit of timeout for ourselves.}

^{Find what’s right for you, for some relaxing and taking a break may mean a bit of time alone to yourself, for others that mean being stimulated by the company of others. It is really good to have structure and routine to your day but don’t forget to factor in breaks or ‘me time’ for yourself, it may just be a 10 minute chat with a friend over a cuppa. Whether your particular choice of relaxing is passive or active, it will help your mental batteries to recharge and keep you feeling well.}