Advice to Isle residents to improve mental health

Everyone has mental health, like everyone has physical health – both changes throughout people’s lives. And like bodies can become unwell, so can minds.

One in four people will be affected by mental illness in any year.

The effects are as real as a broken arm, even though there isn’t a sling or plaster cast to show for it.

When people experience mental health problems, they often feel stressed, anxious, low and experience negative thoughts, often as a reaction to negative circumstances or events.

Everyone feels like that now and then, but it’s when these thoughts and feelings become so frequent and/or severe that they significantly disrupt people’s ability to cope with life on a daily basis, such as negatively affecting relationships, work, sleep and quality of life, that they can become mental health problems.

Evidence suggests there are five easy steps people can take to improve mental wellbeing.

Creating a positive state of wellbeing is when an individual realises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.

Mental health can change from day to day, month to month or year to year.

The important thing to remember is that there are steps to take to help achieve a better state of wellbeing.

Dr Robert Jaggs-Fowler (pictured), GP and mental health clinical lead for North Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said there is more to good mental health than avoiding or treating mental illness.

He said: “Mental wellbeing can take many different forms, but a useful description is feeling good and functioning well.

“The positive steps outlined above are aimed at helping people to feel more content, confident and energetic and engage with others in a positive way.”

For more information about creating positive emotional wellbeing and mental health, visit Wellbeing