What to look out for

It is normal to experience ups and downs in response to everyday life events. Your mental health and wellbeing is just as important as your physical health. To improve or maintain your mental health and wellbeing, you may find these little things or self-help support tools useful.

Factors that can influence your mental health may include:

• Sleeping. Sleep helps you to repair and restore your bodies and mind.
• Nutrition. Nutrition plays an important role in maintaining your mental health and wellbeing.
• Keeping active. Being physically active can improve your mood and reduces stress.
• Relationships. Spending time with people close to you can help improve your mental health.
• Work. Work can make you feel good about yourself and can give you a sense of purpose.¹
• Life events. Everyone experiences ups and downs throughout life which can affect your mental health and wellbeing.
• Alcohol and other drug use.
• Grief and loss.

When one or more of these don’t go so well, people can find it difficult to know when to get help. Visit our support services section on this website to find out what help is right for you.

If you are experiencing any of the following signs and symptoms you may want to consider completing the mental health self assessment checklist to determine what support or tools are relevant for you:

• feeling anxious or worried for no reason and for more than two weeks
• feeling down or unhappy for no reason and for more than two of weeks
• loss of energy and motivation
• emotional outbursts
• increased alcohol or other drug use
• feeling guilty or worthless
• changes in behaviour or feelings.²

There are a number of mental health issues that people may experience, ranging from stress, anxiety and depression to bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Each issue has it’s own signs and symptoms. See Mental Health Conditions for more information.

Content last updated: 2 November 2017