World mental health day is an international day for mental health education, awareness and advocacy against social stigma.

Today is an international day for global mental health education, awareness, and advocacy against social stigma. It’s all about raising awareness and driving positive change for everyone’s mental health.

More and more of us are aware of mental health. And so many of us still aren’t getting the right support.

Awareness is just the start. Now it’s time to act.

In many ways, mental health is just like physical health: everybody has it and we need to take care of it.

Good mental health means being able to think, feel and react in the ways that you need and want to live your life. But if you go through a period of poor mental health, you might find the ways you’re frequently thinking, feeling, or reacting become difficult, or even impossible, to cope with. This can feel just as bad as a physical illness, or even worse.

Mental health problems are a common human experience. 1 in 4 people will be affected by mental health within any given year. Most people know someone who has experienced a mental health problem.

Here are 10 mental health tips:
– Be kind to yourself.
– Talk to someone you trust for support.
– Get closer to nature.
– Be aware of using drugs and/or alcohol to cope.
– Get help with financial worries.
– Get more from your sleep.
– Keep physically active.
– Eat healthy food.
– Keep open-minded to new experiences.
– Plan activities to look forward to.

Here are tips to help someone who seems down:
– Let them know you care and are there to listen.
– Accept them as they are, without judging them.
– Gently encourage them to help themselves – for example, by staying physically active, eating a balanced diet, and doing things they enjoy.
– Get information about the services available to them – for example, therapy.
– Stay in touch with them by messaging, phoning, or meeting for coffee. People who are depressed can become isolated and may find it difficult to leave their home.
– Try to be patient.
– Take care of yourself.

If the person you’re worried about, or yourself, expresses suicidal feelings, you should contact Samaritans on 116 123 for confidential 24-hour support.

We support mental health today and always.