How we recognise and deal with feeling stressed or overwhelmed also affects our physical and mental wellbeing.

Lots of the ideas and activities shared on this site can help you to relax and control your body’s stress response.

Being physically active

Being active can help boost our mental wellbeing. It releases feel-good hormones, or endorphins, which give us a sense of reward or pleasure. Being active helps us to regulate psychological processes (like thoughts and feelings) and biological functions (like heart rate and digestion), allowing us to feel good and function well – inside and out!

Being active with others

Being active with others, such as a group walk or team sport, can bring the added benefit of socialising and connecting with others. Spending time outdoors is also great for our mental wellbeing.

Eating well and maintaining a healthy weight

With increasing costs of living, looking after our physical health and maintaining healthy diets can feel challenging. Managing our weight can feel challenging as well. Our relationship with food and exercise is different for everyone. But there are tools out there that can help.

Research shows that eating a Mediterranean-style diet (full of fruits, vegetables and whole-grains) is great for our mental and physical health.

Quitting smoking improves mental wellbeing

Quitting smoking is a great way to improve our health and wellbeing. Research suggests that it can be as effective as taking medication when it comes to reducing feelings of depression and anxiety. Quitting smoking isn’t easy, and we’re more likely to be successful if we get support.

Start your smokefree journey with access to free expert NHS support from Help Me Quit.

Sleeping well

Good quality sleep is important for our mental wellbeing. When we are well rested, we can think more clearly and are better able to regulate our emotions. It’s also good for our memory and helps to lower stress hormones.

Having regular bedtime routines, like going to bed and waking up at the same time each day helps to regulate our internal body clock.

Relaxation techniques like deep breathing exercises or mindfulness before bed can help to calm your mind before sleeping. Writing down our thoughts or ‘to do lists’ before bed can also help to stop thoughts whirring around when trying to get to sleep.