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What is it and why is it important?

Your mental health is how you feel. Some people call this your emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing.

We all have good days and bad days, and sometimes feel, sad, stressed or worried. But sometimes the way we feel can affect our lives. We may find it hard to cope and may need extra support. Feeling anxious or depressed involves our bodies as well as our minds. It can also make it harder to take care of ourselves, make healthy choices, or stick to healthy habits.

Mental illness often leads to worse health and wellbeing, with those severely affected living 10-15 years less than London’s average. Four out of six boroughs in south east London rank below the London average for mental health.

Icon of a head with the brain visible

The good news is that more of us are talking about and understanding mental health. This means it’s easier to take steps to improve yours.

What can I do about it?

Here are a few tips you can try to help your mental wellbeing:

  • stay active with moderate exercise most days to boost mood and wellbeing
  • stay connected with family, friends or your community for support and a sense of belonging
  • be kind to others through small acts of kindness or volunteering opportunities
  • keep learning by trying new hobbies, skills, courses or experiences
  • practice mindfulness by actively noticing your thoughts, feelings and surroundings
  • spend time outdoors, aiming for around an hour of fresh air a day if possible
  • keep a journal to reflect on your thoughts and feelings
  • prioritise sleep, aiming for 7 to 9 hours a night
  • when overwhelmed, try a short burst of intense exercise, slow breathing, cold water on your face, or muscle tension and relaxation techniques to help calm your body
  • take 5 steps to mental wellbeing

If something feels wrong, reach out early. You don’t need to wait until things get worse.

Most people first notice mental health difficulties in everyday life. It’s important to seek help early long before things reach crisis point.

There are many local community and voluntary organisations offering wellbeing support, such as Hub of Hope, which lists local and online mental health services. Support may also be available in schools, colleges, workplaces, and community spaces.

What support can I get?

If you live in England and are aged 18 or over, you can access NHS Talking Therapies services for anxiety and depression.

  • A GP can refer you, or you can even contact them directly yourself.
  • NHS Talking Therapies services offer talking therapies, like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), counselling, other therapies, and guided self-help as well as help for common mental health problems, like anxiety and depression. Each borough has a talking therapies service. You can find out more here: find NHS talking therapies for anxiety and depression – NHS.

Click here to find more advice, support, and tips to improve your health

Crisis support 

You get general support for issues associated with mental health in the following places:

Getting active can offer lots of benefits, both physical and mental. To find opportunities near you, check out South East London The Vital 5 – Get Active.

Crisis support

In a mental health crisis, you might need help right away. Here is more information on how you can get support for a mental health crisis.

What is a mental health crisis?

A mental health crisis means you are very stressed and worried.

  • You might want to hurt yourself, or someone else.
  • You might hear strange voices or see things that other people do not.
  • You might think people are watching you or trying to hurt you.
  • You might feel too low to take care of your basic needs, such as washing or eating

What can you do?

Tell someone you trust like someone from your family, community, or a friend.

If you need urgent help, but it isn’t an emergency:

If you live in…

  • Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark – Call 0800 731 2864. Choose option 1 to speak to our local mental health crisis team (South London and Maudsley)
  • Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich – Call 0800 330 8590 (Oxleas)
  • Anywhere – Call 111 and select the mental health option, or message 0303 330 1511 on WhatsApp to access the South London NHS Mental Health Crisis Text Service.

If your or someone else’s life is in danger:

Call 999 or go to A&E now.

If you are in contact with a mental health service:

Check your care plan. If it is in working hours (Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm), contact your care coordinator or the duty number for the team that is supporting you.

At other times, use the options above.

For more information about mental health crises visit these websites:

Need to speak to someone right away?

Whatever you’re going through, you can call Samaritans at any time on 116 123.

You can also click here to find out more about Samaritans services online.

What is mental health and how can it affect me?

  • Your mental health is how you feel. We all have good days and bad days, and sometimes feel, sad, stressed or worried. But sometimes the way we feel can affect our lives. We may find it hard to cope and may need extra support.
  • Some people call this your “emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing”.
  • Your mental health and physical health are linked. Mental health conditions can make your physical health worse. Physical health conditions can make your mental health worse.
  • Some common mental health challenges include stress, depression, anxiety, and loneliness. You can learn about these and more here: Types of mental health problems – Mind.
  • Our mental health affects our relationships with the people in our lives. It can stop us from socialising, and it may affect our ability to carry out our responsibilities.
  • It also impacts our motivation to look after ourselves and stay healthy.
  • Different people experience mental health challenges in different ways. Here are some examples:
    • feeling hopeless about the future.
    • feeling overwhelmed and not feeling like we can cope.
    • feeling too low to take care of our basic needs, such as showering or eating.
    • struggling with being around other people.
    • feeling very worried about lots of different things.
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