What do you do to improve your mental health?

Recently I have joined discussion groups on Ravelry which are about yarn crafts. It's lovely. These types of things must exist for other types of craft too. I recommend them. British Banter is a Ravlery board for us Brits in particular, and covers knitting, crochet, weaving etc. but also has strands where you can post about almost anything and get friendly answers. Everyone there is supportive!

I try to remain positive & focus on at least one good thing a day rather than something that may have not gone well. I try to get out into the open on regular basis - even just a walk down the road - it does clear your mind a bit & blows cobwebs away.

Maybe do something 'nice' for someone else: volunteer for a charity perhaps, give something back to your community. Or even just say hello to someone  

Personally? I improve my mental health by reminiscing about the life I could’ve had, had it not been for Labour/Conservative policies pushed through the UK Government—turning this “life” into a torturous, long‑running policy experiment in poverty, sanctions, and human rights violations.

Takes a deep breath and exhales.

There’s nothing more soothing and euphoric than:

1. A rogue, vigilante DWP work coach abusing public resources to leave me without an income for four months over things I expressed in my UC Journal;
2. Every law firm I approach gatekeeping legal aid—declining or ignoring my requests for representation to challenge ongoing human rights violations and submit a Judicial Review;
3. The Housing Ombudsman taking the scenic route to deciding whether accountability is even real, while I remain trapped in Sanctuary Housing under LHA limits and coercive low-income benefits;
4. The Mental Health Act being weaponised against me via DWP work coaches and the Metropolitan Police whenever scrutiny becomes inconvenient;
5. Loneliness, depression, and cascading consequences engineered by all of the above;
6. A lifetime of systemic and community-curated disadvantage—indirect abuse, harassment, and vigilantism—being socially rebranded as a “leech” without anyone saying it, just curating my feed to make sure I felt it;
7. A malicious “rainbow movement,” driven by extremist Labour-aligned politics, used to weaponise and exploit me, destroying my teenage years and compounding human rights violations;
8. Being cost a fortune in lifetime experiences and earning potential through engineered suffering, torture, hopelessness, and conveniently labelled “mental health problems” that derailed my health, dating life, career prospects, and finances.

Very therapeutic. Hugely restorative. Five stars.

Nothing says "mental health" like being driven into hitting rock bottom, spending a night in the ER, having legal action quietly blocked, or being told to budget, get a job, level up, or "voluntarily" enlist to the military

Creative Health is key both as preventative and curative models of care, this can be funded through community based arts initiatives across London. There could be a centrally funded Creative Health Access Fund that helps make this happen. There are already many initiatives that are happening that would need this support to grow and support local residents. 

I think this year's theme 'Small Actions for Others'  is a good reminder that simple gestures, like checking in on one another, can make a big difference to someone’s mental well-being. 

I spend time doing things that are good for me even if I don't feel like it e.g. swimming and yoga.

I feel connected to my community by volunteering.

I support my mother as her carer and work part time with adult social care.

We have an NHS and local GPs that cannot cope with the mental health crisis. People are fed medication that does not help resolve or improve people's mental health. There needs to be more availability of therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists that are available to all. 

Billions being spent on the NHS but mental health remains a hidden problem. 

When you have a local authority that does not respond to emails, letters or telephone calls but send you threatening letters that negatively impacts your mental health. When you attend their open days, speak to an individual and they do not respond back to you as they tell you to your face that negatively impacts your mental health. When the Mayor of London DOUBLES your council tax that negatively impacts your mental health. 

The second biggest priority after housing I think is mental health care.

• Some physical health symptoms stem from mental health issues. Those need to be recognised, diagnosed and addressed properly. Doing so will reduce the benefits burden significantly and improve the long-term sickness issues. The mental health services on the NHS are severely underfunded and social services are a failed agency. Note the past tense. They aren’t failing. They failed decades ago, that’s why we see so many news stories of their failure to intervene or protect victims from abuse, especially small children over a 25 year period. Social services, police, NHS are not fit for purpose.
• 1 in 3 people seem to have mental health issues from what I can see. It’s an epidemic.
• Create programs where people can learn and earn money from home, like investing. Give them a £1000 credit, like the Americans stimulus cheques during the pandemic, and have that locked in a stocks and shares ISA so they can’t take it out. They have to invest to grow it. Earning income will give people hope and skills to get themselves out of difficult financial situations and eventually get off benefits for life. It will also be an alternative to losing income from job loss due to AI.

The housing situation for renters is taking a toll on renters' mental health.  There is increasing evidence that austerity policies contribute a lot to bad physical and mental health in the population. Much more investment in talking therapies - which can be regarded simply as a form of human capital - is needed, mainly through the NHS. 

I think… we really need a time… to do exercises for maintain the health, it’s really important 

• What do you do to improve your own mental health?
• When I’m feeling a bit down I go outside I make a connection with nature. I take a short walk or a stroll. I breathe deeply and and I take in the atmosphere.  Waltz out I tried to think about what is happening now they call it mindfulness. I forget about what’s happened and also about what I’m scared of happening and concentrate on what is happening now . that settles me and helps me with my anxiety and emotions.
• What makes you feel connected to others?
• I am from Newham in East London one of the most diverse populations in the UK. As such wherever I go I will see someone from my Heritage or my upbringing being born and bred in the East End of London. We have a wonderful community and there is always someone who I can talk to or smile with or have a laugh. This always makes me feel better.
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• What do you do to support others in your community?
• I won the Newham Mays Civic award for our contribution to the community.
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• Having volunteered for 25 years with an organisation that I helped to set up New and Volunteers I love to support our community.
• On a practical basis every Tuesday I have a room at East Ham library where people can come and sit and talk about whatever they have on their mind.
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• They can have a cup of tea or coffee biscuits or cake or fruit and just sit on my green couch. The session is called Let’s Talk. I find that people open up and discuss topics close to their heart.
  I was one of the original Covid champions which was a program that was set up during the pandemic. This was a way of connecting with our local community providing them information and support.
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• The UK government heard about our process and with the public health department they rolled out our program throughout the UK. I’m very proud of this achievement together with the garden of reflection and remembrance that we created in a local park

Running. Usually this is planned and I can run a specific route.

Sometimes it's spontaneous running - I am joined by a man sporting a black puffer jacket or looking like a night time ninja, and we run and run for what seems like miles until a friendly police officer appears.
Unfortunately I'm not permitted to say anything further on my stress busting exercise regime, you know why.

Sports, Yoga and Active Social activities. 

As I work more from home following changes during Covid, I started noticing that as the weather changes to Winter I start feeling a bit low. The lack of social interaction and loneliness of WFH starts to creep in. 

In the last 3 years I have steadily built in activities which I enjoy and force me to go out. These include - 

• playing Squash, where I play at the local Social club in Uxbridge which has a lovely restaurant and bar to socialise afterwards with other players.
• Yoga which I do either online while at home or in the park, to get some fresh air and change of scenery
• The Saturday morning park run, walk or volunteer followed by a hot cup of coffee afterwards
• Dancing, a new hobby I picked up. Daunting at first as a guy, but I now regularly go into London to dance at a club and studio with other people having similar interest. 

The side benefits of these activities are that I now drink quite a lot less as I no longer have after work drinks, eat out less and eat a lot more healthily as I cook my own food and I feel a lot younger, stronger and healthier.