Do more exercise
Being active is not only great for your physical health and fitness. Evidence also shows it can also improve your mental wellbeing by:
Raising your self-esteem
Causing chemical changes in your brain which can help to positively change your mood
Helping you to set goals or challenges and achieve them
Volunteer
Multiple studies have demonstrated that volunteering improves mental health. Volunteering also allows you to learn new skills and experience new thing.
There are many places looking for volunteers across the Hillingdon borough, from Homestart Hillingdon, to Volunteering with us here at Hillingdon Vision.
You can find many of the volunteer opportunities locally HERE:
If you are a Student at Brunel University, why not check out the Brunel Volunteering Centre. They offer numerous volunteering placements, exclusive to students!
Learn New Skills
Continued learning through life enhances self-esteem and encourages social interaction and a more active life.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that the opportunity to engage in work or educational activities particularly helps to lift older people out of depression.
The practice of setting goals, which is related to adult learning in particular, has been strongly associated with higher levels of wellbeing.
Why not learn something new today? Here are a few more ideas:
Find out something about your colleagues
Sign up for a class
Read the news or a book
Set up a book club
Do a crossword or Sudoku
Research something you’ve always wondered about
Learn a new word
In Hillingdon, there are many places you can go to learn new skills.
Clean Up Your Act
Cleaning is considered to be a form of stress relief, among other activities such as mindfulness and exercise practices. Research has demonstrated that cleaning can yield several positive effects on mental health
Cleaning and decluttering gurus are amassing huge numbers of followers on Instagram and Twitter, with several ‘cleanfluencers’ becoming regular faces on daytime TV.
Organisation ‘porn’ and cleaning blogs have never been more popular.
Cleaning products suppliers are seeing year-on-year growth in sales, thanks in part to the recommendations of social media influencers. This is a trend that’s been around for a couple years but it shows no sign of letting up, with Mrs Hinch gaining as many as 100,000 followers on Instagram each month.
Many of these influencers champion the benefits that cleaning can have on mental health, but is there anything in this? What is it about clean homes and organised drawers that people find so satisfying?
Be Open and Honest About Mental Health
By not talking about mental health, we add to the stigma that surrounds it (what is stigma?). Some of the harmful effects of stigma can include:
Discrimination
Lack of understanding by family, friends, co-workers or others
Fewer opportunities for work, school or social activities or trouble finding housing
Bullying, physical violence or harassment
Health insurance that doesn't adequately cover their mental illness treatment
The belief that they'll never succeed at certain challenges or that they can't improve their situation
Whilst none of these suggestions are a silver bullet that will magically cure your issues, they are great first steps on the road to improved mental health. The main message being, do what you love in life, don't be afraid to speak with your Healthcare professionals about mental health, or if you find it easier approach an organisation like www.mind.org.uk.
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