Mental wellbeing is about how we feel and how well we cope with the ups and downs of everyday life. When we have good mental wellbeing we’re able to:

• Feel relatively confident in ourselves
• Feel and express a range of emotions
• Feel engaged with the world around us
• Live and work productively
• Cope with the stresses of daily life
• Manage times of change and uncertainty

There are simple things we can all do to improve our mental wellbeing, build resilience and feel good about ourselves. Details of local campaigns and initiatives to promote mental wellbeing and challenge stigma in relation to mental health problems, are outlined below.

Mental wellbeing initiatives and campaigns

Happy? Ok? Sad?

happyoksad is a mental health site for people who live or work in Warrington. The site has links to information about looking after your mental wellbeing, as well as directories of local and national mental health support services. There’s also a page for front line workers with details of free training.

The aims of the site are to make people aware of:

• Simple things they can do to look after their mental wellbeing
• Symptoms of common mental health problems
• Services that can offer information, advice, support or treatment
• Support available if someone needs urgent help
• How to access free mental wellbeing training and resources

The happyoksad website also includes an option to explore your very own self-care menu, which can help you build a healthier daily routine.

Get Warrington Talking

Through local events, networking, campaigns and conversations, Get Warrington Talking aims to create a culture of knowledge and understanding around mental health, mental illness and suicide prevention. They also aim to strengthen the support networks within the town for people experiencing mental health challenges and endeavour to ensure that everyone can access the help they need when they need it.

If you live or work in Warrington and you have a lived mental health experience, then they want to hear from you. They are keen to grow the number of Get Warrington Talking champions so that they can positively engage with the local communities, challenging stigma and discrimination.

Get Warrington Talking are always looking to involve new champions in their activities, for more information please call 01925 246938 or visit GWT@warringtonspeakup.org.uk. You can also follow the Get Warrington Talking Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.

Make Time and the five ways to wellbeing

The mental wellbeing campaign Make Time, encourages us all to think about the everyday things we do, that help us to feel positive. The campaign also asks us to consider how we might fit more of the five ways to wellbeing into our daily routines. Research has shown that people who regularly include the Five Ways to Wellbeing in their lives are more likely to feel good about themselves.

The five ways to wellbeing are:

• Connect: spend time with people who are important to you.
• Be active: at a level that suits your mobility and fitness.
• Take notice: be more aware of the world around you. Be curious.
• Keep learning: try something new or different, start a new hobby.
• Give: do something thoughtful for someone else, or volunteer your time.
• Looking after your mental wellbeing

Do you regularly make time for your own mental wellbeing? Have a go at answering the Make Time questions below and see where you might fit more of the five ways to wellbeing into your week:

• When was the last time you laughed until you cried?
• When was the last time you got up and out?
• When was the last time you noticed things around you?
• When was the last time you tried something new?
• When was the last time you made someone smile?

You can engage with the Make Time campaign by following them on social media and tagging #maketimewarrington. You can read more about Make Time, the Five Ways to Wellbeing and other ways to look after your mental wellbeing on happyoksad