Managing your health on a budget part 3 – Looking after your mental health

It’s completely normal to feel worried about the cost of living and how it’s going to impact you and others. The increase in cost of living brings uncertainty which can be difficult to deal with and may lead to low mood, anxiety and stress which in turn make implementing and maintaining lifestyle changes more challenging.

Looking after your mental health is particularly important at times of uncertainty both for your physical and mental wellbeing. Let’s look at some things that might help to manage your mental health and support you to feel able to continue making healthy long-term changes.

Mindfulness can be a great way to reduce stress and anxiety and can be done anywhere. It can be something as simple as taking some deep breaths and paying attention to how your body feels, or you may prefer to follow a guided mindfulness activity.

Pay attention to your thoughts and identify unhelpful ‘thought traps’. It’s easy to think negatively about yourself and the future, and although it is normal to be worried about the cost of living often we jump to the worst case scenario so it can be helpful to rationalise your thoughts and understand how they might be impacting your behaviour.

Prioritise your physical wellbeing. It’s normal for exercise and nutrition to be less of a priority when facing uncertainty and stress however finding budget friendly ways to stay physically active and eat nutritious meals can support mental wellbeing by reducing stress.

Talk to those close to you about how you’re feeling. It can really help to share your worries whether that be with your friends, family or a professional.

It’s important to speak to your GP if you think you would benefit from further support for financial or mental health concerns.