Take 5 – Simple daily actions can boost mental health, says PHA
- Love Ballymena
- Sep 10
- 2 min read
The Public Health Agency (PHA) and Health and Social Care (HSC) organisations are encouraging people across Northern Ireland to look after their mental health with the same care and attention they give to their physical health.
The message comes as part of the annual HSC mental health campaign, running between World Suicide Prevention Day on 10 September and World Mental Health Day on 10 October.
This year’s theme, “Look after your mental health”, highlights the importance of self-care and encourages everyone to practise the ‘Take 5 steps to wellbeing’ – Connect, Keep Learning, Be Active, Take Notice and Give.
Fiona Teague, Regional Lead for Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing at the PHA, said:
“Life can be stressful and demanding so this campaign highlights the importance of small daily actions and self-care techniques to help manage and benefit your mental health and wellbeing.
“The ‘Take 5 steps to wellbeing’ can act as a guide for your mental wellbeing, encouraging you to connect, keep learning, be active, take notice and give. Making these steps part of our daily life can help build resilience around our mental and emotional wellbeing.”
She added:
“Looking after our mental health is not something we should just do when we are feeling down, it’s something we should proactively maintain just like our physical health.
“Everyone can benefit from the ‘Take 5 steps to wellbeing’. If we can build these in to our daily routine, we will soon feel the benefits and improvements to our overall wellbeing.”
The ‘Take 5 steps to wellbeing’ explained
Connect – Build and nurture relationships with family, friends, colleagues and your community.
Keep learning – Try new hobbies, revisit old skills or take on challenges that build confidence.
Be active – Find enjoyable physical activities such as walking, cycling, gardening or dancing.
Take notice – Pause and appreciate the world around you, noticing sights, sounds and feelings.
Give – Acts of kindness, volunteering and community involvement can foster a sense of belonging.
The PHA stresses the importance of recognising when extra help may be needed.
“Mental health problems are common with one-in-five people experiencing a mental health problem at any given time,” said Fiona.
“Some simple changes to our lifestyle such as exercising, having good sleep habits and connecting with people in our community can help however it important to seek professional help if things are not improving.”
Support available
Lifeline: Free, confidential support available 24/7 – call 0808 808 8000.
In an emergency or if someone is in immediate danger, call 999.
Further resources: Minding Your Head provides information on mental health services and advice on wellbeing.
