Category: Help and Advice

Stress left unmanaged is bad for our health. Excess stress can present itself in a wide range of emotional, cognitive, behavioural and physical ways, which can negatively affect our day-to-day lives. While stretching ourselves at work is positive as it helps us to grow, too much pressure puts a strain on us and eventually could lead to burnout. Jennifer, Sophia and Shannon tell us about their past experiences of burnout, demonstrating that the self-awareness they developed now helps them to spot the signs of stress and keep mentally healthy.

Quitting smoking can provide benefits to mental health as well as physical health. The journey of quitting can be daunting and bring up feelings of anxiety and fear. We spoke to Kim who explained to us how she quit smoking, and the positive changes the move had on her mental health.

Sophie is a 26-year-old mental health advocate who has lived with OCD for 11 years. She won a Bill Pringle Award with Rethink Mental Illness for her poem on managing OCD in 2019 and has spoken publicly about her experience on radio and on social media. She is open and vocal about mental health and mental illness because she knows first-hand how isolating and scary it can be in the beginning.

24-hour rolling news is designed to hijack our attention and keep us distracted. Being informed is important, but not when it negatively impacts your psychological wellbeing. We explain how to deal with news anxiety to support your mental health, as well as young people’s.

With 75% of mental illnesses starting before a person’s 18th birthday, evidence shows that providing good, early preventative support in the right place at the right time can help to avoid young people’s mental health deteriorating.

Children’s Mental Health Week is taking place between the 7-13 February and the theme this year is growing together. As we move through the week, we ask you to set time aside with the young people in your life to think about how they have grown – what skills they have developed, what personal qualities they most admire in themselves and others, and what goals they would like to set themselves for the year ahead.

The holiday period is typically a time of joy and celebration, but it’s also natural to find it a difficult time for a whole range of reasons. And this year is no exception with all of the uncertainty and changes happening in the world around us. Many people find this time of year particularly stressful with cooking, parties, spending money, and choosing gifts often on the agenda. If you live with a mental health problem such as anxiety, the feelings of sadness, frustration and pressure during this time can be amplified even more.

A new study cites financial worries, entertaining guests and keeping everyone happy as key factors in peoples’ mental health worsening over the festive period.

Stress Awareness Month falls in April. It’s used to help highlight ways that stress can impact people, and what you can do to help relieve stress for yourself and others.