Mental health refers to our cognitive, behavioural, and emotional wellbeing.  It is all about how we think, feel, and behave.

Mental health can affect our daily life, relationships, and even our physical health.  Mental health also includes a person's ability to enjoy life, to attain a balance between life activities and efforts to achieve psychological resilience.

What is mindfulness? For most people, the word mindfulness can seem like a rather vague concept that’s difficult to put into words. In the simplest terms, mindfulness is a state of active and open attention in the present moment. Mindfulness can help you to deal with stress, your emotions and to cope during hard times. This Every Mind Matters video is a fantastic introduction to mindfulness: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wfDTp2GogaQ

Mindfulness meditation involves sitting silently and paying attention to thoughts, sounds, the sensations of breathing or parts of the body, bringing your attention back whenever the mind starts to wander. It can help you to feel more positive and calmer throughout the day. Check your mood using this simple mood self-assessment quiz and see if mindfulness could benefit you: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/se...ties/depression-anxiety-self-assessment-quiz/

Mindfulness can help you to:

• Understand your emotions better
• Cope better with difficult thoughts
• Feel calmer
• Boost your attention and concentration
• Improve your relationships

Try this NHS website online course to help reduce stress, anxiety and depression through mindfulness: https://www.nhs.uk/apps-library/be-mindful/