Mental Health and our Hearts

WE know that each year in England, one in four people will experience some sort of mental health problem.

Long-term mental health problems can increase our risk of developing heart disease, which is one of the reasons why it is important that we look after our mental health by combating stress, maximising our ability to cope, and seeking support.

Here are some tips to keep our mental health in check.

Create Balance

Aim to balance your day-to-day demands with regular exercise, me-time and a good sleep routine to increase your resilience levels.

Use your Support Network

Having someone you can talk to about your mental health can help you to better deal with any problems you are experiencing.

This could be a friend, family member, or mental health professional.

Check-In

Checking in with ourselves and noticing trends in our behaviour and the way we feel can help us to know when we may need to seek help or put something in place to support our mental health.

Apps such as Formscore, Thought Diary or Daylio offer an easy way to track our wellbeing over time.

Ask for Help

If we feel any of the signs and symptoms of a mental health problem, it is important to ask for help.

You can speak with your GP or use a mental health charity support line such as

Samaritans.

■ For more tips on how to stay healthy, sign up for our weekly healthy tips at www. heartresearch.org.uk/ healthy-tips. ■ To help keep your heart healthy, why not try out some of our Healthy Heart recipes from our website: https://heartresearch. org.uk/heart-researchuk-recipes-2/. ■ Or have a look through our Healthy Heart cookbook filled with recipes from top chefs, celebrities and food bloggers: https:// heartresearch.org.uk/ heart-research-ukcookbook/