Maintaining a healthy mind

This is a guide to managing your mental health and maintaining a healthy mind. It will contain resources and show you how Cavendish Homecare can help with an array of services and support on offer. You can also use our mental health care service page to find more information.

Looking after your physical health

Even though mental health is all about the mind, there are a lot of resources that explain how keeping your physical health in check can help with mental health. Physical health is important because if you are unwell it can make you feel down or like you have no energy. Coupled with poor mental health, this can have serious consequences. However, this doesn’t mean that exercise or a special diet will ‘cure’ mental health issues.

Exercise

Physical activity like walking, running, and playing games or sports have all been found to help lift moods and provide energy. Many say that exercise helps them manage stress and helps them sleep at night too.

For some, simply staying active and eating as healthy as possible is enough to maintain good physical health. Some mental health disorders can be negatively affected by too much exercise. For example, people with eating problems or a tendency to over-train or worry constantly about their appearance. Read more about physical activity and mental health from Mind.

Sleep

Getting enough sleep is important for all of us. It helps our bodies rest and repair and during sleep our minds process what has happened that day. Insomnia or disturbed sleep can make mental health issues feel worse. When tired, we can feel irritated or lose focus more easily. Sleep is also linked to our metabolism so eating healthier can be difficult when we are tired too.

Poor sleep can lead to negative thoughts, or make you feel depressed or anxious. If you don’t get enough regular, good-quality sleep, you may feel less able to rationalise your thought processes. Read more about sleep and mental health from The Mental Health Foundation.

Diet

Eating a balanced diet is something everyone should try to achieve, but for mental health, food can also help boost your mood. Maintaining a steady blood sugar level helps to keep your energy levels at a good rate. So, avoiding lots of sugary snacks which can make your blood sugar spike and drop is important.

Eating regular meals and staying hydrated is another great way to keep yourself feeling healthy and can keep your mind sharper. When hungry or dehydrated, we can struggle to focus or concentrate. Fruit and vegetables are also recommended for the vitamins and minerals they contain – these can help us to stay healthy, fight disease and maintain good mental health.

Talking through your feelings

Dealing with stress and other emotions can often be alleviated by talking to friends, family, and professionals. When we speak about what’s bothering us, it can help us to see a problem in a new way, or signal to others that we need help or support. Mental health can feel very isolating at times, so talking can be a lifeline for many.

There are plenty of free online resources for talking about mental health, removing the stigma and aiding understanding. Time to Change’s materials is a great place to start. Cavendish Homecare can also help you with this with our services around mental health care. We can arrange to take you to appointments with doctors, specialists, or therapists, or help you manage medications. We can also provide access to resources to help you understand your mental health or attend groups that will encourage you to reach out and get the help you need.

Speaking to your GP about medications

Sometimes, medications can help with mental health problems. They are not always appropriate, nor are they ever treated as the only solution. Instead, they are often used as part of an all-encompassing plan for care alongside other therapies or treatments. Some people can worry that being on medication for mental health is a problem or not a long-term solution, but a GP can talk through options with you and address any concerns regarding side effects and length of treatment.

Cavendish Homecare can help you manage prescriptions and help you stay on track with your medications. It’s one of the many benefits of home care we can provide, as we understand that life is busy and keeping track of treatments is vital to wellbeing or recovery.

How can Cavendish Homecare help?

Cavendish Homecare understands the bravery it takes to seek help for a mental health issue. No matter the issues you are facing, be it stress, drug or alcohol-related problems, to more complex mental health issues like depression, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia, we can help.

Our services include round-the-clock quality care and our staff is experienced in all aspects of mental health care. Call us to discuss flexible and customised treatment options.