The term mental health is used to describe a spectrum from mental health problems and disorders, through to mental wellbeing or positive mental health.
This page focuses on mental wellbeing, which is the positive end of mental health, which refers to both feeling good (eg feelings of happiness and enjoyment) and doing well (eg positive relationships with others, a sense of control and purpose in life).
Five ways to mental wellbeing
The five ways to wellbeing (New Economics Foundation) are evidence-based steps you can take in your daily life to improve how you feel and function.
Connect
Connect with the people around you. With family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. At home, work, school or in your local community. Think of these as the cornerstones of your life and invest time in developing them. Building these connections will support and enrich you every day.
For more information, check out:
- Mental Health Foundation’s Guide to Investing in Your Relationships.
- For children, young people and families - Ealing Families Directory and Young Ealing
- Some other community and voluntary sector opportunities include Do Something Good and Ealing Community and Voluntary Service
Be active
Go for a walk or run. Step outside. Cycle. Play a game. Garden. Dance. Exercising makes you feel good. Most importantly, discover a physical activity you enjoy and one that suits your level of mobility and fitness.
Check out:
- Active Ealing
- Healthy Walks
- You can also download many free apps to encourage you to be active, including ‘One You Active 10’, ‘One You Couch to 5K’ and the ‘Change4Life fun generator’.
Take notice
Be curious. Catch sight of the beautiful. Remark on the unusual. Notice the changing seasons. Savour the moment, whether you are walking to work, eating lunch or talking to friends. Be aware of the world around you and what you are feeling. Reflecting on your experiences will help you appreciate what matters to you.
For more information, go to:
- Mental Health Foundation’s Guide ‘How to Look After Your Mental Health Using Mindfulness’ and related website, Be Mindful
- You can also download many free apps to support mindfulness practice, including ‘Buddhify’ and ‘Bemindful’
Keep learning
Try something new. Rediscover an old interest. Sign up for that course. Take on a different responsibility at work. Fix a bike. Learn to play an instrument or how to cook your favourite food. Set a challenge you will enjoy achieving. Learning new things will make you more confident as well as being fun.
Why not explore:
Give
Do something nice for a friend, or a stranger. Thank someone. Smile. Volunteer your time. Join a community group. Look out, as well as in. Seeing yourself, and your happiness, linked to the wider community can be incredibly rewarding and creates connections with the people around you.
Here are some good place to start:
If you are struggling with your mental health and need support, you can find sources of support on the Ealing Clinical Commisssioning Group (ECCG) Website.
If you are experiencing a crisis, you can call West London Mental Health Trust’s Single Point of Access phone line on 0300 1234244, go to your GP or your local A&E.