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The body and mind are interconnected; taking good care of the body also means taking good care of the mind.

Physical activity releases feel-good chemicals like endorphins and serotonin into the body. This is one of the reasons why exercising feels so good and why regular exercise is extremely beneficial for our mental health.

Regular exercise can help:

• guard against depression
• decrease anxiety
• sharpen memory
• improve mood
• increase energy levels, and
• improve sleep.

Even if you’re feeling ok, exercise can still make you feel better, and can help reduce the risk of some illnesses. It is recommended adults do 30 minutes or more of physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week. If you’re new to exercise, start by doing some exercise, and gradually build up to the recommended 30 minutes.

Good food for good thought

Our bodies need a lot of nutrients to function and keep us well. What we think, feel and do depends on obrain function—and what we eat directly affects how our brain functions. Following a healthy diet helps to reduce the risk of physical health problems like heart disease and diabetes, promotes good sleeping patterns, increases our energy levels and promotes overall general health and wellbeing.

Eating a well-balanced and nutritious diet, combined with exercise, is great way to look after your mind and body.

Our ability to think, reason and make decisions depends on how well our brain functions. Like a muscle, we can maintain and improve our brain functions by regularly exercising it.

Learning something new is one way you can exercise your brain. Research is showing that lifelong learning can improve brain function and prevent or delay the symptoms of conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

While learning new things is great for our long-term brain health it’s also beneficial for our day-to-day mental wellbeing.

We need sleep to help our body and minds function. Making sure you get enough sleep each day will not only help your body recover from the day but also gives our brain some ‘down time’ to process and store information received throughout the day.Not getting enough sleep may not only affect our mood and concentration but also lead to increased anxiety and depression.Making sure we get the recommended amount of sleep will help make sure our brains and bodies are rested enough to respond positively to daily challenges. 

Studies show that doing things for others makes the people giving happier than those who are receiving. Performing an act of kindness triggers the release of a chemical called oxytocin, stimulating an area of the brain associated with social connection and trust, making you feel good.

Appreciation and gratitude are powerful positive emotions. Research shows that gratitude improves our self-esteem, enhances empathy and reduces our aggression. People who show gratitude are even more likely to sleep better.

Experiencing these positive emotions on a regular basis helps build resilience which helps us to bounce back more quickly during challenging times.

For most of human history, people have lived in large tribes and extended families. Times have changed, however, and many of us now live much more independently of each other. Despite this, we are still hardwired for the same regular human contact and interaction that our ancestors experienced.

Feeling connected to other people, groups, places and culture can play an important part in feeling and staying mentally well. Spending time with others helps build our sense of belonging and adds meaning to our lives.

There are many different ways of finding meaningful connections with people including, developing relationships with family and friends, connecting with co-workers or classmates, joining a team or club, or volunteering for a charity or community organisation.

Regular positive interactions can help you feel good and strengthen your social networks for those challenging times when we need to call on others for love and support.

Tip: Switch off the TV after dinner and connect with your family, friends or housemates by talking or playing board games.

Mindfulness is connecting to the present moment, being aware of our thoughts and feelings, without judging them. To practice mindfulness, you need to give yourself permission to stop, take a slow breath in and out, and immerse yourself in your surroundings – taking notice of what is going on within and around you.

Mindfulness is about focusing on the present. Taking notice and appreciating the world around you is a simple way to improve mental wellbeing.

The more we can bring our attention into the present, and tune into what is happening now, the less likely we are to focus on worrying about things from the past or things that might happen in the future.

Tip: Practice these 3 tips on being mindful to help you practice mindfulness more often.

Spending time in nature is extremely beneficial to our mental wellbeing. Studies have shown that regular contact with green spaces and the natural world can help alleviate stress. Being in nature can also lift your mood, build up your immune system, lower your blood pressure and improve your sleep.

Spending time in nature also means getting some sun which helps with the production of mood-stabilising chemicals like serotonin and can boost vitamin D levels, which is important for regulating sleep-wake cycles.

Tip: Gardening will not only help you connect with nature, but also has other surprising health benefits like helping you stay fit.