Eat Well – To get us all on the path to better mental health, let’s start with the basics. What fuels your body, fuels your mind. Give it the right stuff at the right time and you give yourself the best chance for a happy, healthy life.

Walk – it’s as simple as that. Even five minutes every day to breathe some fresh air can make a huge difference. There’s something endlessly comforting in the reliability of nature. It’s a daily reminder that no matter what storm is raging, you can always step outside and breathe. Like a buoy in a turbulent sea, there will always be something familiar and constant outside your door to help ground you.

Express yourself – whatever you are feeling, whoever you are missing, write it down and share it. Make a call, send a text, write a letter, stick a post-it on the fridge! However you want to communicate, get it out of your head and tell someone that you love how you are feeling. Good, bad or ugly – all your feelings are valid and sharing them with someone you love and trust will lighten your emotional load.

Cocoon – if you need comfort, allow yourself to experience it. Wear your softest clothes, wrap yourself up in a blanket, make your favourite drink and let yourself feel safe and secure. No apologies, no looming to-do lists, no agenda. Treat yourself how you would treat a scared child. Sometimes we all need to curl up and wait for the storm to pass. To retreat is not a defeat.

Treat yourself – too often, our adult lives are driven by efficiency, value or need. We live by someone else’s rhythms, constantly striving for the next goal. It’s vital to take time to listen to our own voice, notice what we are craving and give ourselves credit for what we are doing. Recognising that we are doing the best we can with what we have and rewarding that effort is good for the soul. Whatever it is that makes you happy, treat yourself. No guilt necessary.