Try our five tips, designed to help you feel happier, more in control and able to cope better with life’s ups and downs.
Manage your stress levels
Being in a stressed state of mind a lot of the time can make it easier for you to overreact or feel negative compared to someone who is relaxed.
Managing your stress can be a gradual process. Look at your lifestyle. If you have a lot of stress in your life, find ways to reduce it, such as asking your partner to help with chores in the house, taking a relaxing yoga class, or talking to your boss about changing your working hours.
Introduce regular exercise and time to yourself. These are positive changes. Taking control of your time in this way can effectively reduce stress.
If you have feelings of anxiety along with your stress, breathing exercises can help. See Relaxation tips for stress for advice.
Use humour and enjoy yourself
A good sense of humour is a great inner strength. Try to see the funny side of situations, and you’ll often be able cope better. Jokes have a way of making worries seem less important.
Doing things that you enjoy is also good for your overall emotional wellbeing. Watching sports with a friend, having a soak in the bath, or meeting up with friends for coffee are examples of small activities that can improve your day.
Doing something you’re good at, such as cooking or dancing, is a good way to enjoy yourself and have a sense of achievement. “If you’re feeling low, tell yourself how good you are at the activity. It really gives you a lift,” says clinical psychologist Isabel Clarke.
Avoid things that seem enjoyable at the time but make you feel worse afterwards, such as alcohol, or clothes shopping if you’re on a tight budget.
Build up your self-esteem
Self-esteem is the way you feel about yourself. Lots of things can lower our self-esteem, such as a relationship break-up, not getting the job you wanted or putting on weight. None of these things makes us worth less, but it can feel that way.
If your self-esteem is low, it’s important to learn how to improve it. Clarke says the best way to improve your self-esteem is to "treat yourself as you would treat a valued friend", in a positive but honest way. Notice when you’re putting yourself down, such as thinking: "You’re so stupid for not getting that job," and instead think: "Would I say that to my best friend?". You probably wouldn’t.
Tell yourself something positive instead, such as: "You’re a bright person, you’ll get the next job."
Have a healthy lifestyle
Limit your alcohol intake
You don’t have to give up alcohol completely to be emotionally healthy, but avoid drinking more than the recommended limit. If you're a man, don't regularly drink more than three-to-four units a day. If you're a woman, don't regularly drink more than two-to-three units a day. Use the alcohol tracker tool to help you stick to the recommended daily limit.
When times are hard, it’s tempting to drink alcohol because it "numbs" painful feelings. However, it can exaggerate some feelings and make you feel angry or aggressive. It can also make you feel more depressed.
If you think that your drinking might be becoming a problem, talk to your GP for advice.
Read more about the effects of alcohol on your health and find simple tips to help you cut down.
Choose a well-balanced diet
Making healthy choices about your diet can make you feel emotionally stronger. You’re doing something positive for yourself, which lifts your self-esteem, and a good diet enables your brain and body to work efficiently.
Aim to have a balanced everyday diet that includes the main food groups (see Healthy eating for more information).
Do some exercise
Even moderate exercise releases chemicals in your brain that lift your mood. It can help you to sleep better, have more energy and keep your heart healthy. If you’re trying to reach a healthy weight, exercise will help you lose the pounds.
Choose an exercise that you enjoy. If it helps, do it with a friend or listen to music. Adults should aim for 150 minutes a week.
Get enough sleep
Around seven to eight hours is the average amount of sleep an adult needs for their body and mind to fully rest. But this can vary. Some people need less and some need more before they feel ready for the day.
Whatever the case, make sure that you make sleep a priority. Some people, such as new parents and those working shifts, can find this very hard. Ask your partner or a family member to help you so that you can catch up on sleep.
Get Ten tips on overcoming insomnia.
Talk and share
Communication is important, whether it’s with a friend, family member or counsellor. Communication enables you to release tension rather than keep it inside. Isabel Clarke advises: “If you’re talking about your innermost feelings, be careful who you talk to. Make sure that it’s someone who has your best interests at heart.”
Talking about your feelings doesn’t have to be formal or too serious. You can discuss small things that annoy you or make you sad. You might end up laughing about a previous difficult experience. It helps you to strengthen your relationships and connect with people.
Many people find that talking to a counsellor about the things that are troubling them is very helpful. See The benefits of talking therapy and Can I get free counselling? for more information about how it could help you and how to find a counsellor.
If you want to talk anonymously or urgently, you can call the Samaritans 24 hours a day on 08457 90 90 90.
Reslience grows by making something worthwhile out of painful times. Starting a support group to help others, or making something creative out of bad experiences, such as writing down what has happened, painting or singing can help you express pain and get through hard times.
Read more about depression support groups.
Would you like to take part in a study?
If anxiety or low mood are affecting you (or someone you know), and you have an iPhone, you may be interested in taking part in the Mood Mate study. The study is a research project at the University of Reading, and aims to find out whether giving people a tool to monitor their mood can help them find local treatments.