Protecting and improving your mental wellbeing

Here you will find information about what mental health is and what support is available. Mental health can be thought about as a spectrum: we can feel in crisis, in a place where we are struggling, or we can feel mentally healthy and well.

If you need urgent crisis support, call the Nottinghamshire Mental Health Crisis Line on 0808 196 3779 (24/7) or the Samaritans on 116 123 (24/7).

For information and support with suicide prevention, please visit our Suicide Prevention page.

Around 1 in 4 people experience mental health problems such as anxiety and depression every year. It is a widespread and common issue affecting people from all walks of life, and yet we often find it hard to talk about.

A collection of short mental health awareness videos has been developed to increase our knowledge and confidence to approach this topic. These videos will support you to look after your own wellbeing and support your conversations about mental health with friends and family.

What is mental health?

Watch this video to find out more about what mental health is, when it becomes a problem and why it is important to talk about mental health.

 

Looking after your mental wellbeing

Watch this video to get practical advice on how to look after your mental health, including an introduction to the Five Ways to Wellbeing.


Having a conversation about mental health

Watch this video to get practical tips and techniques to help you have a conversation about mental health with friends, family, and anyone else you are concerned about. 


Spotting the signs of mental ill-health

Watch this video to help you spot the signs when someone is struggling with their mental health.


Finding mental health support and services

Watch this video to get practical advice on how you can help people access mental health support and services. 

 

Find more information on mental health and support services below.

“There is no health without mental health.” (World Health Organisation)

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.

Around 1 in 4 people experience mental health problems every year. It is a widespread and common issue affecting people from all walks of life, and yet we often find it hard to talk about.

Everyone’s mental health fluctuates, we all have periods of low mood, stress and anxiety. But it becomes a mental health problem once this carries on over a long period of time, affecting the way you live and think, making it hard to cope at times. You don’t have to have hit rock bottom to require help, mental health is a spectrum and talking about it early on is important.

There are lots of different mental health conditions. The webpages below provide a list of different mental health issues and information about them.

Mental health conditions - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Types of mental health problems - Mind

It is natural to struggle with life's challenges at times but evidence shows there are things you can do to reduce stress and improve good mental health and wellbeing. 

The Five Ways to Wellbeing

  1. Connect with people - People who take time to develop relationships feel better about themselves. Sharing problems and situations that make you stressed makes them easier to deal with. 
  2. Be active - You don't have to go to the gym. Find any activity that you enjoy and make it part of your life. 
  3. Keep learning - Learning new skills can boost your confidence and give you a sense of achievement. Setting yourself goals and challenges, whether at work or outside helps to build confidence and thus deal with stress. You don’t need to earn a qualification, just find something interesting to do.
  4. Give to others - From small acts of kindness to large volunteering efforts giving can improve your mental wellbeing and help build your social networks. 
  5. Be aware - Take notice of your feelings, thoughts, body and the world around you. 

Mental wellbeing at work

Looking after your own and others mental wellbeing at work is important. We have produced two posters to provide further information on how to talk about mental wellbeing at work and use the Five Ways to Wellbeing as simple steps you can take to look after yourself and your colleagues.

Download supporting your own mental wellbeing at work poster [PDF]
Download supporting others mental wellbeing at work poster [PDF]

Getting out and being active

If you are looking for extra support and to meet new people in a similar situation, our community engagement teams can help. With their support, you can attend peer support and community support groups in Nottinghamshire. At the groups you can share experiences and talk to other people, get active, learn new skills and find out about volunteering. 

Our community engagement teams help people to sustain wellbeing, develop their potential and enhance their quality of life. They also enable creative opportunities and the ability to help each other to build a well-connected community through additional links to other community groups, projects and services. 

Visit the Notts Help Yourself website to find out more about co-production and the different support groups. 

A mental health crisis is a time where someone needs urgent help. A crisis can mean different things for different people, such as feeling suicidal, self-harming or having panic attacks and flashbacks.

If you need immediate help because you are seriously injured, have taken an overdose or can’t keep yourself safe, seek emergency help either by phoning 999 or if it is safe to do so, by visiting your local A&E.

The Nottinghamshire Mental Health Crisis Line is available to anyone in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire who has concerns about their mental health or is in crisis. It’s open to people of all ages, available 24/7 and free to call on 0808 196 3779

There is a Nottinghamshire Mental Health Crisis webpage: Help in a crisis (nottinghamshirehealthcare.nhs.uk)

You could also call the Samaritans on 116 123 (24/7).

If you are not in immediate danger and do not need urgent medical help, there are services who are available to offer support and information:

  • Samaritans - support and someone to talk to 24/7
  • Sane - out of hours helpline providing support and information

The resources under the ‘I am struggling’ tab may also be helpful.

If you are concerned about your mental health, or you are worried about the mental health of a relative or someone you care for, there are different support options available which are outlined below:

If you need to speak to someone, the following services can offer support and information:

  • Samaritans - support and someone to talk to 24/7
  • SHOUT: is a free, confidential, anonymous text support service for anyone struggling to cope. Available 24/7. Text SHOUT to 85258.
  • Sane - out of hours helpline providing support and information
  • Nottinghamshire Crisis Sanctuaries provide mental health crisis support to local communities across the county.

There are other organisations which provide helpful information:

The Every Mind Matters website has some great tips and information so if you're struggling, or you know someone who is, please visit it for advice. And remember, it is OK not to be OK.

Our Nottinghamshire Help Yourself website provides information about useful support and organisations to help you.

There are simple steps that we can all take to look after our mental wellbeing.

There is a variety of support available to help you maintain good mental health and wellbeing. The NHS Choices website has a range of information and advice on mental health including tips for good mental health. 

This poster gives tips on the five ways to wellbeing, and details of mental health support services available (Mental Health and Wellbeing Information [PDF]).

The Every Mind Matters website has some great tips and information on staying well.

The NottAlone website contains a wealth of information and advice as well as details of relevant support services for children and young people to support their mental wellbeing.

Be U Notts provides free mental health support for children and young people across Nottinghamshire (excludes Bassetlaw).

Talkzone offers free, confidential mental health support and counselling for children and young people, aged 11-25, in Bassetlaw.

If you are a student, young person or young adult, this leaflet [PDF] gives you information on how you can access services and support to help with your mental wellbeing, including support if you are experiencing self-harm or thoughts of suicide. 

You may also find information listed in the other tabs on this webpage helpful.

This booklet looking after your mental wellbeing [PDF] provides useful information to help older people to look after their mental wellbeing. There is also a printable version of the booklet [PDF].

The Silver Line: 0800 470 8090 This is a free confidential helpline providing information, friendship and advice to older people, open 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Age UK Connect Service (for older people or people with a long-term health condition, information, advice and practical support).

  • Broxtowe, Gedling or Rushcliffe: 0115 939 5406
  • Mid Nottinghamshire (Mansfield, Ashfield or Newark and Sherwood areas): 01623 488217
  • Bassetlaw: 0115 844 3541

You may also find information listed in the other tabs on this webpage helpful.

Worry about money and work can have a big impact on our mental health and wellbeing, and lead to feelings of stress and anxiety.

Poor mental health can make managing your money harder and worrying about money can make your mental health and wellbeing worse.

If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental wellbeing, there is help and support available.

The Nottinghamshire Mental Health Crisis Line is available 24/7. They can support in a crisis and can help you access the support you need: call 0808 196 3779

The Samaritans can also support in a crisis: call 116 123 (24/7)

Helpful websites

For advice and tools to help you cope with money worries visit:

For local mental health advice for children and young people visit NottAlone's website.

For information and advice on what to do if you or someone you know is having thoughts about suicide or self-harm visit the councils' Suicide and Self-Harm Prevention webpage.

If you need to talk to someone

If you want more information

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