We often talk about how to keep healthy, but the focus is often on our bodies rather than our minds. Our minds and body are interrelated, but we can also try and keep our mind healthy as well.
- Eat regularly.
- Eat well and healthily.
- Exercise for 30 minutes a day at least. This doesn’t have to be a full on run, but can be gentle exercise, walking, swimming.
- Enjoy the exercise you are doing. If you enjoy it, you are more likely to continue.
- Aim to sleep at least seven hours a day.A lack of sleep can cause lots of health problems, so be kind to yourself.
- Try to keep to a healthy body weight
- Avoid or reduce your intact of alcohol, drugs and tobacco.
- Read daily.
- Learn daily. Learning can be a course or training, but it can also be finding out more about the world around you. Keep up to date with the news, read more about things that interest you. Keep your mind active and inquiring.
- Pick a topic you are interested in – do a course, read about it, find out more.
- Do crosswords, word searches, puzzles, Sudoku – anything that makes you think.
- Help your children with their homework.
- Social support is important for our mental health, so maintain a healthy social life. Keep in touch with friends and family.
- Make new friends – start a new hobby, a course, join a book club, make friends.
A healthy mind and a healthy body are important. Exercise releases endorphins in our brain. They are called the “feel good” endorphins for a reason. Being with people, socialising and having friends is also good for our mental health. We exercise our body to improve our muscles and health. We can use our brain to do the same thing – exercise your brain by using it.
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