What do you do to improve your mental health?

My mental health would be improved by cutting the rubbish involved in joining this group. What is the silly animal picture for? Why is it mandatory? What is an avatar anyway? Preventing mental health is about education of everybody; to understand how to look after your Brain and your body. Also focus on quality housing and adequate support to live securely. Bring back Sure Start type support to enable parents to help their children to thrive AND to improve their own wellbeing. STOP building flats without proper green spaces or places to meet and 'commune'. Otherwise these are not homes they are prisons. or people storage containers. Obviously none of this will happen! No money! No powers!

Direct engagement to motivte us. Too few, ALL inclusive communal exercise events. As a PT/Martial Arts instructor I believe a little non-contact pugilistic sweat would at least put a plaster on the proverbial oxygenated mental health blood loss. #FortFit

I’ve been trying for the last month to join a local authorities leisure facility. For swimming and senior fitness. Tower Hamlets has very little to offer. The Young at Heart Sessions are no more. Now it’s a £30 (ish) per month fee. Either closed or not available for seniors. I’ve had some very strange looks and answers from reception staff at the centres too and just told ‘It’s all on line’. So much for us seniors to keep healthy!!! And if you can’t manage to go ‘on line’ forget it.

I can't really do anything much to look after my mental although I wish I was allowed the chance to. I've trapped in prison of bad insecure private renting and domestic violence. Main benefit for my mental health would be if I was allowed a safe stable home. Unable to do simple things for mental health without that. No fresh air, no friends, nothing.

Group singing is a very useful and enjoyable way of maintaining good mental health. It really helps people who feel lonely and as if they don't belong, and the singing itself releases endorphins (natural pain killers) which help people to feel much better. As a singing leader myself, I really enjoy singing with others. The Natural Voice network lists singing groups if anyone wants to join in (naturalvoice.net)

I chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo twice a day to reveal my true self and overcome feelings of being disconnect and hopelessness; I chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo for my friends' and family members' happiness and wellbeing too, and that enhances my own wellbeing in turn.

why do you waste money duplicating the work of so many charities and the NHS and local councils? It is total overkill and a total waste of money. Absurd mission creep and nothing but socio-political posturing. The Mayor's office should be a model of efficiency and mature policy making. Instead the whole thing looks like PR for the Mayor with a bunch of well-meaning but immature, middle class children throwing money around like confetti on pet projects.

This is a shout if for those with mental health symptoms to where possible, track symptoms. Doing so allows patterns or triggers to be spotted. Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is an example of a cyclical illness where fluctuations of hormones cause cyclical mental health symptoms. For some this will be very few weeks from puberty to when hormones subside in your body (age 50).

Don’t ignore uncontrollable rage, sensitivity to light, the unexpected, especially noise, change in appearance - feeling like your face has slid down your face, change in voice tone (husky, grittier than at other times), low mood, rumination, unable to efficiently carry out day to day routine activities (getting up, leaving the house), joint ache and other physical symptoms such as bloating or pain else where. Document for 3 months.

Your GP is a great place to find help. You made need to visit one or two to feel the correct bond when discussing mental health. That is okay.

If family members or friends appear to have cyclical symptoms or symptoms that they don’t notice find information from you tube and Internet in the first instance to get informed about mental illness, symptoms and the language to use. Dedicated Facebook groups can help. Only follow qualified GP and specialist guidance for any treatments and changes to lifestyle, following a diagnosis or advice.

When we gave given our body the opportunity to work at its optimum, we provide ourselves with the energy to keep striving to help ourselves and seek help, however challenging and persevering with seeking support until you are satisfied it makes sense to you and your body.

Optimum self care is vital: access to nature, fresh air, rainbow or variety in diet, relaxation avenues, hydration, grooming routine.

I walk and I read and I try to make sure I make time for myself to do things I enjoy.

In terms of what I do to feel connected to others, I see my friends and family when I can and do the odd group exercise class.

I support others in my community by volunteering for a small charity in the Borough in which I work and I am a befriender (I visit an elderly housebound lady once a week during non-covid times) and I make phone calls for them to other elderly isolated people.

We banned phones from the bedroom (including charging) several years ago, which really helps, and feels very natural after a short time. I feel my life has also been improved by a decision to not turn on my phone in the morning until I am back from dropping my daughter off at school. There is no downside to this for me - there's really nothing that can't wait till 9 o'clock, and I'm sure our morning routine is immeasurably improved by the fact that nothing is competing for our attention.

I have practised yoga exercises for many years and start the day with a simple routine. It seems to me there is a connection between physical and mental health, quiet exercise helps to calm my mind so that the difficulties everyone faces are seen in perspective. The past few years with Covid have been very hard for us all, the isolation of lockdowns is especially difficult and harmful to mental health. I dread another lockdown. Those few quiet moments every morning have been invaluable in getting me through this pandemic.

My local church community in Wandsworth is a huge lifeline!! Wonderful to meet with a range of people and to know their care and support.

The organisation Open Age has been a wonderful help offering zoom classes throughout the pandemic. I was doing some volunteering with them before the pandemic to encourage people to join. As it helped me come out of depression after bereavements. I had some great counselling from the West London counselling centre. I joined many physical classes in Open Age where I have learnt pilates and to dance plus also creative sessions and lectures. Public Acts and their link to the National theatre also had events that helped connect me with others and fed my creativity. Walking in nature at the local cemetery has helped especially feeding the squirrels and observing the trees through the seasons. I did struggle sometimes mentally and my family and friends helped me through. I also got some good excercises from the musculo=skeletal guy at my doctors and now my back pain is not so bad. I did put some weight back on while shielding and I am now watching my diet and excercising to remove it. I am now volunteering with Friendly Welcome Camden working towards resettling a refugee family in Camden.

Never felt the need to think about it. 30 years of managing ME/CFS, on and off prepared one well for isolation.

To be all too brutally honest it's all down to the individual, I suffer chronic pain due to several issues with my back and also have COPD so have worried incessantly about catching the 'vid BUT just find one thing you enjoy and embrace it, for me it's bikes, went out and bought a Harley at end of 1st lockdown and every time I'm feeling close to the edge just go out for a spin and blow the cobwebs away.

Just find that one little thing that matters to you and hold onto it.