“I am so grateful to No Limits for being there when I needed someone to hear me out and not make me feel silly. The No Limits youth worker did that and she also helped me to see things differently. I wouldn’t be here without her.”

How your donations could help

You can donate any amount you want and it’ll all make a difference, but here are some examples of what different amounts might be used for:

£5 could support the printing of our mental health resources, meaning that young people can start to help themselves before their issues worsen.
£10 could enable an emergency department youth worker to support a young person that has presented at A&E in crisis.
£25 could see a young person struggling with their mental health get to talk to a counsellor in a safe, confidential space.

Donate now

Tips for looking after your mental health

Talking is important
The best thing you can do for your mental health and is talking to people you trust when you need support. It’s easy to bottle things up and keep worries to yourself, but letting negative thoughts stew just makes them worse.

Talk to someone close to you, like a friend, family member, teacher or manager and do it in a place where you feel comfortable.

If you’re not sure how to start, phrases like ‘I haven’t been feeling like myself lately’ and ‘I’m finding things hard at the moment’ can help you get going.

Small steps are still steps
If you’re feeling low, anxious or stressed, don’t force yourself to do things that won’t make you feel good or, beat yourself up for not being able to do everything you normally would. Take each thing as it comes and be kind to yourself. Think about how you would treat someone else feeling how you are.

Remember, small steps are still steps and you’re doing the best you can.

Planning can help
Feeling overwhelmed or not sure what to do? Making an action plan can help us sort out what’s in our minds and work out what to do next. Some things to consider and write down are:
– What the issue is
– The outcome you want to achieve
– Who can you talk to to get support
– What you can do to support yourself
– How others can help
– What your next step needs to be

Practise self-care
Being kind to ourselves isn’t always easy or at the forefront of our minds, but it’s really important for our wellbeing. If there is a lot going round in your head, doing calming, mind-clearing things can take some of the weight off.

Having a bath or shower can be good for a mental reset, while exercising can help us let off some steam. Quiet activities like mindfulness, calm colouring or even just sitting on the sofa with a cup of tea can help a lot.

Professional support
Professional support is always there for you. If you haven’t been feeling good for a while, or are really struggling, it’s a good idea to speak to someone. This could be a mental health organisation where you will be able to talk about how you’re feeling with a trained professional who will be able to offer support and advice, or your GP, who will be able to refer you on to specialist services and prescribe medication if you are 18 or over. Many national charities also have 24 hour helplines that you can use if you are in crisis.

Thank you to Mettricks, The Nest, Happy Bean and Retro for helping us to spread the word about Mental Health Awareness Week and the vital support we give to young people in our community.