Mental wellbeing and physical wellbeing are interrelated. Both rely upon each other and affect each other. Mental wellbeing is about how we think, feel and behave.

When we feel well mentally, we feel like we can achieve everyday things easily without difficulty and we’re able to face challenges and new experiences.

There are things we are able to do in order to stay mentally healthy and build resilience. Following the Five Ways to Wellbeing plan definitely supports mental wellbeing. There has been a lot of research upon this proving that using Five Ways to Wellbeing everyday ensures good mental health. Read more about this in the separate page.

Self-care is key to keeping mentally healthy. The Anna Freud site has lots of ideas for young people on ways to practise self-care.

https://www.annafreud.org/resources/children-and-young-peoples-wellbeing/self-care/

And what about resilience? Well, resilience is how someone deals with difficult events and moves forward afterwards. It’s a skill that anyone can learn, practise and improve. Over time, a person can develop the ability to face challenges more easily. This is a really important skill for life. Below are two really good clips about resilience:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RzHx5rw0f4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FDyiUEn8Vw 

At times, a person can find life hard and this can affect their mental health. This happens to many people and can happen at any age. Sometimes, it’s easy to recognise what has caused the problem but sometimes it’s not as obvious – that’s totally normal too.

Included here is information about a number of common mental health difficulties that may be of help to anyone experiencing problems. Remember, the most important step is to SHARE how you’re feeling with some that you trust. A problem shared is definitely a problem halved! This can be a family member, a friend, a teacher or by contacting a helpline. Sharing a problem can help someone to feel better instantly.