World Mental Health Day: ten practical ways to check in

World Mental Health Day can be a prompt to check what is helping, what is adding pressure and where you may need support. It does not need to become another list of habits to complete.

At work

• Take the break you are entitled to. Step away from your screen or workstation if you can.

• Ask which task matters most when several deadlines compete. A clear priority is more useful than trying to absorb an impossible workload.

• Keep contact with colleagues who make work feel less isolating.

• Use the support available through your employer, but check who can see what you share before you begin.

• Raise repeated pressure, bullying or unsafe conditions through the appropriate manager, HR contact or trade union. A breathing exercise cannot fix an organisational problem.

Outside work

• Keep sleep and meal times reasonably regular where your circumstances allow.

• Move in a way that suits your body. A short walk, stretching or dancing at home all count.

• Make time for something that holds your attention without demanding a result.

• Tell someone you trust how you have actually been feeling.

• Speak to your GP or a mental health professional if changes in mood, sleep or daily functioning persist.

These are options, not guarantees. Choose the step that fits the problem in front of you.

If you have InsideOut®

If your employer or NHS service has given you access, InsideOut® includes guided courses, messages with Remi® and routes to talking therapy. The service starts with what you write and steps up when more support is needed.