Do your mental health a favour with our quick and easy self-assessment!
Prioritising our mental health isn’t always easy in this hectic modern world. School and work pressures, a busy social life, family issues and general stresses can quickly pile up and leave you feeling overwhelmed, anxious and lost. Taking time out to stop and evaluate your emotional health and wellbeing can help you find your feet – and your focus! Get into the habit of checking in with yourself with our five top tips…
- “How do I feel?”
Ask yourself this question daily and give serious consideration to your answer. Are you feeling:
- Stressed
- Anxious
- Overworked
- Overtired
- Sad
- Depressed?
Use a journal or notebook to track your daily feelings and note down any physical symptoms you might have, such as headaches or appetite changes. Tracking your moods can help you spot patterns and identify triggers, which can help you plan ways to avoid or cope with your most common stresses. Read about coping with low moods here.
- “Has my overall mood changed recently?”
Taking a step back to consider your overall mood can help you gain perspective, as well as identify if your mood is dropping to a worrying level. This is why tracking your daily mood can really help – it provides an overall ‘graph’ of the direction of your mental health. If you notice a gradual decline or lots of lows, this is a good indicator that your mental health needs attention before things get any worse. Talk to someone you trust about how you’ve been feeling and make an appointment with your doctor if you feel like you need medical help. It can be helpful to take your journal along with you to aid the doctor in assessing your mental health. Learn more about depression here.
- “Am I giving my body what it needs?”
Physical and mental health are often intertwined so it’s important to assess (truthfully!) if you’ve been giving your body and mind the fuel, food and exercise it needs to be in tip-top shape. Are you:
- Eating regularly?
- Getting your five-a-day of fruit and vegetables?
- Drinking enough fluids? You should be aiming for 6-8 glasses of water or squash a day.
- Getting enough sleep? It’s widely recommended that teenagers need 8-10 hours of sleep at night.
- Getting frequent and moderate exercise? You don’t have to hit the gym or run a marathon to reap the benefits – a swim, cycle or a gentle stroll with the dog can boost your wellbeing.
Hitting all these targets can really help you feel better, both mentally and physically. Tools like health apps, smart watches and journals are great for keeping track of your movements and dietary intake and can help you reach your daily goals of getting enough sleep, moving more, eating healthily and drinking enough water. If you notice that you’ve been really struggling to take good care of yourself, this can be an indicator of depression or extreme stress and it’s important to seek help. Read more about taking care of your physical and mental health here.
- “What can I do to make myself happier?”
Here’s where self-care comes in! Have a think about what you can do to bring yourself a little joy. Whether it’s cooking your favourite meal for dinner, treating yourself to a takeaway coffee, gaming with friends or taking a nap, do something that makes you happy every day. You’ll find lots of ways you can sprinkle self-care into your life here.
- “Who is my support?”
Lastly, have a think about who has got your back. Who can you talk to? Who always takes the time to check in with you? Who is a true comrade? Who can you put your trust in? We all need someone solid, supportive and caring in our corner to help us when times are tough. A good supporter is:
- Consistent
- Compassionate
- Respectful
- Kind
- Supportive
- Honest
Support is deserved by EVERYONE, and no-one should have to go through difficult times alone. There are lots of great support networks and helplines out there, from your local GP to peer support groups and 24/7 phone lines. You can read more about peer support here.
24/7 Helplines:
Childline: 0800 1111
Samaritans: 116 123
