How to look out for yourself

Why is looking out for myself important?

When you look out for yourself every day, even by doing something you don’t think is that big a deal, it can make a big difference to your mental health.

Mental health is often seen as something we should only think about when things go wrong. But keeping your mental health in mind every day is a great way to look out for yourself.

Your mental health can be affected by all sorts of stuff – like how well you sleep, who you’re chatting to, or not getting enough time to yourself. But there are things that you can take control of to feel in charge of your life.

Looking out for yourself can look different for everyone, but the key is that you’re doing things that work for you that help you to feel better, or even your best. This is also called ‘self-care’, and trying it out as much possible can make a real difference to how you feel.

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How can I find what works for me?

It can be hard to figure out what is actually going to help us look out for our mental health. There are lots of things out there that might try and tell you that you need to buy loads of expensive products, or new stuff to look after yourself.

But it can be as simple as:

Getting active with your mates
Gaming during some alone time
Getting creative in a fresh sketchbook

Sometimes it can feel a bit trial and error. Maybe your mate has hyped up how much journalling helps them feel better. But you might stare at the blank page and have no idea what to write. That doesn’t mean you won’t find something else that really helps you out.

Paying attention to things that make you feel good every day, even if it feels like nothing major, is a great way to start figuring out what’s going to help you look out for you.

It’s never going to be one size fits all, but there will be something out there that works for you. We’re here to give you some ideas that you can use to get going.

Back to basics

Taking care of ourselves can feel a bit daunting, especially day in day out. But there’s some straightforward stuff that you can try. These could eventually help you build a better routine too, which can help your mind and body take on every day ups and downs.

Check your basic needs

Think about whether you’re hungry, thirsty or tired - and eat, drink or rest if you need to.

When you forget to go back to basics, it can have a bigger impact on you than you might realise.

Look out for your body

How you look after yourself on the outside, will help how you feel on the inside. This can include things like getting some exercise, getting a good night’s sleep, and taking a shower.

If you can’t do this every day, that’s OK. You could try one thing at a time.

Be kind to yourself

It’s not always easy to be kind to yourself. A good way to try is to think about what you'd say to a friend if they were in your position.

Treat yourself how you’d treat others you care about.

Do something you enjoy for 30 minutes

Making time to do something that makes you happy can really help turn your day around. This could be anything – it’s up to what works for you!

30 minutes feel like too much? Start with 5 and work your way up.

Keep chatting to those around you

Just chatting to someone you trust and like spending time with, even if you don’t necessarily chat about your mental health, can make a big difference.

Finding something that makes you feel great

Self-care is often seen as a very specific thing, and is often thought about as just candles and face masks. And if candles and facemasks help you, that’s great! But self-care can really be anything - the key is it should make you feel good.

Take a look at our different personalities, and see if you can relate to any of them. Then, check out what we’ve suggested each one could give a try.

Don't know if you relate to these? You can find other ideas from our message boards!

Unbox Your Brain - Rosie McClelland on journalling

The creative

You might love all things crafty, enjoy nothing better than getting stuck into a new project (whether or not you’ll finish said project is a different story!). To help you feel good every day, you could try:

A mindfulness colouring book or a paint by numbers
Making a journal or sketchbook just for you
Creating a digital scrapbook of memories with your friends or family.

The sportsperson

You might get a real kick out of a kickabout, or maybe you love nothing more than getting those miles in with a good jog. If sport is your thing, you could try these out:

Scheduling time for exercise little and often
Hitting the gym with your mates
Getting out for a run to get those endorphins

The bookworm

If you love nothing more than finding your next read, then these book-based tips could help you find what works for you every day:

Put your phone away before bed, and pick up a good book instead
Try out an audiobook while you do other tasks, or if you need a distraction
Start or join a book club and get chatting with other book lovers

The gamer

Gaming can be a great escape, and if you love getting stuck into a new level, or playing with your mates online, you could give these every day tips a try:

Using your fave game's soundtrack as background noise to help distract or focus your mind
Try out some offline games you can play in person, like Dungeons and Dragons or other group games.
Plan when you've got time to play so you can still unwind, like stopping and saving your game with enough time to relax before bed

The outdoorsy

If getting out in nature is your thing, and you feel your best in the great outdoors, you can try these top tips for your every day:

Get outside at least once a day even if it's for five minutes
Get outside without listening to music or a podcast - really tune into what you can hear around you
Notice the small things around you that you like, maybe the shape of a leaf, or a new flower starting to blossom

The music lover

If music makes you feel like you’re on top of the world, or is there for you when you’re feeling low, you can try out these everyday things to help keep you feel your best:

Blast your favourite playlist or soundtrack to feel good and give yourself a pick-me-up
Use things like chilled or instrumental music to unwind or if you need to focus
Get together with someone you like spending time with and compare your favourite tunes

"When I’ve left the gym, I come out I feel fresh. It helps me sort of compute what’s on my mind.

Before I go it’s all a mess, but after everything’s clear and it makes sense."

- Jordon Wilson, Content Creator

Feeling motivated

Making positive changes every day might feel overwhelming. Especially if you’re not feeling on top of your game.

A good place to start is to pick one and give it a go for a week. If you forget, that’s OK! Or if what you’ve picked just isn’t working, give something else a go. When you start small, you might be surprised by how big a difference it can make.

Doing this as much as possible can help you take on new challenges, feel more confident, and know how to pick yourself up when you feel down. And doing this stuff all the time, not just when you notice that you’re not feeling your best, can set you up for success in the long run.

Struggling with it all

Life isn’t always easy, and when things get harder, looking after yourself can sometimes feel like an impossible task. And sometimes our feelings are too big to manage on our own.

This never has to last. If you relate to this, you can:

Take one day at a time, be kind to yourself and big yourself up for any small wins.
Reach out to someone you trust, like a mate or an adult in your life
Post on the message boards and get help from our community
Contact a Childline counsellor, who are always here to listen to you