This week is Mental Health Awareness Week; Mental health is about the way you think, feel and your ability to deal with ups and downs. It helps determine how you handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Take a look at these 10 tips to help you take care of your mental health.

Talk about your feelings - If you or anyone you know is struggling, it’s so important to talk about it. Remember, there’s nothing to be ashamed about in talking about how you feel; recognising that you or someone close to you may be suffering with a mental illness is the first step towards receiving treatment and getting better.

Keep active - Regular exercise can boost your self-esteem and help you concentrate more, sleep better, and feel healthier.

Eat well - Food can have a long-lasting effect on your mental health. Your brain needs a mix of nutrients to stay healthy and function well, just like the other organs in your body.

Drink sensibly - We often drink alcohol to change our mood but the effect is only temporary. Just like smoking and drugs, these substances don’t deal with the causes of difficult feelings.

Keep in touch – Supportive family and friends can help you deal with the stresses of life, so keep in touch with those who care about you.

Ask for help - We all get tired or overwhelmed sometimes by how we feel or when things don’t go to plan. If things are getting too much for you and you feel you can’t cope, ask for help.

Take a break - A change of scene or a change of pace is good for your mental health. Just a few minutes can be enough to de-stress you.

Do something you’re good at - Enjoying yourself can help beat stress. Think about what you love doing, what activities you can lose yourself in, or what you loved doing in the past.

Accept who you are - It’s much healthier to accept that you’re unique than to wish you were more like someone else. Good self-esteem helps you cope when life takes a difficult turn.

Care for others - Caring for and helping others can make you feel needed, valued and boost your self-esteem. It also helps to put your own problems in perspective.

If you need more support, there are lots of services available that can help:

University Wellbeing service

Phone: 0161 295 0023 (select option 1, option 1)

Email: wellbeing@salford.ac.uk

CALM (A charity dedicated to supporting men and preventing male suicide):

Phone: 0800 58 58 58

Papyrus HopeLine

Phone: 0800 068 41 41