Top Tips to support your mental health  

Regardless of what alert level you’re in, here are some tips you can do to support your mental health:

Reaching out to loved ones
As we know, this is a lot better done in person and a warm hug can go a long way. However, when Alert Levels calls for a bit of distance, a simple “thinking of you” type text or call can go a long way not only for you, but can also help those who are feeling a bit lonely to know that you’re thinking of them

When lacking your normal routine, create your own routine
While it is difficult to maintain some sense of normality when everything is far from it, being able to create some structure from chaos helps a lot. While you can’t control whether you go outside to see people, you can control a few things, namely, your sleep schedule, screen time, eating regularly and exercise.

Journaling
Whether this be a complete dump of all your thoughts, goals, or putting into paper all your feelings the best you can (because sometimes it’s hard to put into words). Journaling is a great way to release any pent-up emotion. A proactive way you can lift your spirits through journaling is to express gratitude – whether it be for yourself, your family and friends, or anything in your life you’re grateful for!

Taking it easy on yourself
As great as it is to try be productive during tough times, there shouldn’t be an overwhelming pressure to do so. Some days are simply going to be better than others, and on other days, you simply won’t want to. Allow yourself some time off, as sometimes the most productive thing for your mental health, is to do nothing.

Nutrition is important

• Up your fruit and vegetable intake. Choose these at every meal! Fruits and veg are a great source of antioxidants.

• Prebiotic fibre and probiotics help your gut. Try out yoghurt, muesli and fruit for breakfast. Your gut produces 90% of the serotonin (the happy hormone) around your body - happy gut, happy mind!

• When fish is on offer - take it up. Omega 3 fatty acids found in fish can improve mental performance and lift mood

Staying active
Physical exercise is not only a great way to keep your mental health in check by the release of endorphins, but it will also prime your body to wind down during the night too.

Wind down
Having a bit of quiet time before bed can help set you up for a good night’s sleep. Turning phones off and dimming the lights can do wonders in letting you doze off.