Self-care (also described as ‘self-help’) is about taking care of our personal needs and sense of wellbeing, and it’s for everyone. Not just those struggling with mental health issues. Making changes to the way we look after ourselves can have a positive impact on our mental health, and even prevent difficulties from getting worse.
Self-care is a starting point, and not always an alternative to professional help. If you feel professional help is what you need, help is out there if you need it. You don’t have to deal with your problems alone.
There are things we do every day that impact our mental health. Read YoungMinds’ tips and advice on how you can look after yourself.
Take a look at our Mindfulness page to see how this technique can improve emotional wellbeing.
The Anna Freud website gives you ideas on ways to look after your own mental health.
MoodGYM is a free, fun, interactive programme to help young people with low mood. Based on cognitive behaviour and interpersonal therapy, it helps your explore your feelings, changing the way you think, assertiveness and more.
Free to download, the ‘SuperBetter’ app builds resilience, which is the ability to stay strong, motivated and optimistic – even in the face of change and challenge.
Mindshift CBT is a free self-help anxiety relief app that helps reduce worry, stress and panic by following evidence-based strategies.
Mood Tracker is a website app which lets you track moods and sleep patterns. It can help to manage depression, anxiety or bipolar disorder.
There are lots of ways to feel calmer. It’s about finding what works for you. Try some breathing exercises, activities, games and videos to help let go of stress.
Learn from people who have differences like ADHD, dyslexia, learning disabilities, anxiety and more. Hear their advice for how to thrive in school, work and life.
Molehill Mountain is an app to help autistic people understand and self-manage anxiety.
EmpowerU Education explains how thoughts and emotions fuel anxiety using the brain and amygdala hand model. Learn how to calm big emotions triggered by fear, and get your logical brain back in action.
Being a teenager is hard. Especially when hormones play their part in wreaking havoc on the teenage body and brain.
Overcome anxiety using the Clear Fear app. Designed to help manage the symptoms of anxiety, you can learn tools and techniques to reduce the physical symptoms caused by anxiety, track your progress and notice changes by personalising the app.