Top tips for improving RELATIONSHIPS to benefit your Mental Health

Relationships:

Relationships should make us feel cherished and safe. Some relationships are better for us than others.

A healthy relationship-

Shows mutual respect, honesty, trust and emotional support.

An unhealthy relationship-

Doesn’t make you feel good about yourself or makes you unhappy.

An abusive relationship-

Might involve physical, emotional or sexual abuse - it can happen online, on your phone or in person.

Abusive relationships can make you feel controlled, violated, or forced to do something you don’t want to do.

If you are worried about an abusive relationship, talk to a trusted adult immediately.

Top tips for RELATIONSHIPS

Other people’s reactions are not about us, they are about them. Aim to be the best you can be in your relationships by being honest, inclusive and open.

• It’s healthy to have time apart from your significant other. Spend time with your family and friends too.

• Just because you’re in a “relationship”, doesn't mean that you have to have (or should expect) sex.

• Sometimes breaking up is right. Losing someone who doesn’t respect or appreciate you is a gain, not a loss.

• No one has the right to bully you. Try to ignore the bully and report the incident to a trusted adult.

OTHER THINGS YOU CAN DO…

• Breathing exercises can really help a lot of situations.

• Eating healthy means following a healthy eating pattern that includes a variety of nutritious foods and drinks. It also means getting the number of calories that’s right for you (not eating too much or too little).

• Take time out from social media, it’s not always good for our mental health. Plan some screen-free time every week.

• It’s tempting to share personal feelings on social media, but you can’t know how that will be used. Text or talk to someone you trust instead. If they don’t respond, try someone else!

If you can bounce back from the ups and downs of life then you’re more likely to seek out new experiences and opportunities.

Things that help you bounce back aren’t always to do with you.

Make a difference to others

Look out for a friend, join a club or volunteer your time. It builds your self-esteem and expands the network of people looking out for you.

Say no to negativity

Learn to filter out the negativity of others. Don’t listen to their negative comments. The image in the mirror is uniquely you… lots of people think that you are fabulous!

Find that trusted adult

There are people who love and care for you and want to help. It’s OK if it’s not easy or possible to talk to one of your parents. Who are the other adults in your family, community or school who could step in and support you instead?

There is always someone there to help…  JUST ASK!