13th January 2024
With January in full swing, there is no better time to start looking for ways to improve your mental health and wellbeing for the year ahead.
Evidence suggests there are five steps you can take to improve your mental health and wellbeing. The ‘Take 5 steps to wellbeing’ campaign encourages people to think about their wellbeing and to build the five steps into everyday life.
This campaign has been running in community pharmacies from December 2023, right into this month, January 2024, as part of the Living Well service.
Living Well is a community-based pharmacy service offered in over 500 pharmacies across Northern Ireland. It is delivered in partnership with the Public Health Agency, Community Pharmacy NI, and the Department of Health. The service supports you in improving your health and wellbeing by:
• raising awareness of various public health messages and campaigns;
• sharing of health and wellbeing information;
• signposting to a relevant health professional, service or support in the community;
• using behavioural interventions, if appropriate.
Through the Living Well service, pharmacies help address risk factors that contribute to ill health in Northern Ireland.
Mental health is shaped by the wide-ranging characteristics of the social, economic and physical environments in which people live. Looking after your mental health is not something you should just do when you are feeling down. It’s something you should proactively maintain just like your physical health.
The Take 5 steps to wellbeing are:
- Connect
- Keep learning
- Be active
- Take notice
- Give
Trying these things could help you feel more positive and able to get the most out of life.
For more information, call into your local community pharmacy and pick up a free Take 5 steps to wellbeing leaflet or visit www.mindingyourhead.info