How are you feeling physically and mentally?

Your mental health is just as important as your physical health.

Here are eight things you can do to look after your mental health:

• Connect with other people – family members, friends, people you work with, or share an interest or hobby with. We all need to discuss our problems, give and receive support, and experience enjoyment and laughter.
• Think about what gives you a sense of purpose and get involved in things that make you feel worthwhile and good about yourself such as working, volunteering, helping your family, or the wider community.
• Make time for your creative side, which might include cooking, gardening, building, writing, singing, or doing art and crafts.
• Don’t be too hard on yourself or compare yourself unfavourably with others.
• Try to be fully present and engaged in the moment and not distracted by thinking about the past or the future.
• Participate in regular physical activity like walking, cycling, dancing, swimming, running, or gardening.
• Get enough sleep by avoiding electronic devices, large meals, caffeine and alcohol at bedtime. And have a dark quiet bedroom.
• Try to eat a healthy diet but allow yourself treats.

Life has its ups and downs, and so does mental health.

For more information, watch our next video on why you might feel sad or worried and how you can manage low mood.

We thank all collaborators that contributed to the development, production, translation, promotion and dissemination of these videos.

CRE WaND expert panel (content creation and script development): Dr Mridula Bandyopadhyay, Dr Karin Hammarberg, Professor Jane Fisher, Professor Martha Hickey, Professor Flavia Cicuttini, Dr Karin Stanzel, Dr Helen Brown, Dr Heather Craig, and Ann Macrae

Media production company: Punchy Media

Research translation and dissemination partner: Jean Hailes for Women’s Health

Funding partners: Victorian Government – Department of Health, National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)