Mental Health and Wellbeing
When we are working to maintain or lose weight, it is important that we consider the impact of our mental health and wellbeing on our health behaviours, and access support if we need it.
Physical and Mental Health
Our physical and mental health can impact our eating behaviours and activity levels (e.g. if we are feeling low in mood, we may struggle with our motivation to make healthy changes, or turn to eating foods high in sugar to make ourselves feel better), and when we are struggling with making changes, this in turn can impact on how we think, feel and behave.
Below are examples of useful self-help resources for mental health and well-being that we would recommend if you feel you would like to access support:
If you feel you need some support with your mental health, in NHS Lanarkshire there are useful resources on our Mind Matters website, where you can get information, tips and tools to support your mental health and wellbeing.
The website is supported by NHS psychology staff to help you understand how your mental health can impact your thoughts, feelings and behaviours and offers support in a range of ways. There is also specific information and tools to support your mental health and wellbeing during the pandemic.
The Centre for Clinical Interventions
Useful and free self-help workbooks and information sheets, based on cognitive and behavioural techniques, and written by clinical psychologists, for common psychological difficulties, such as anxiety, low mood, low self-esteem, eating difficulties and binge eating.
Supporting Sleep Difficulties with Sleepio
Sleepio is a six week online programme designed by sleep experts and based on cognitive and behavioural techniques, to improve sleep patterns.
This is a mental health and wellbeing app. Feeling Good uses relaxation, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to help improve positive feelings, self-esteem and self-confidence.
This greenspace portal is to help make it easier to find out about green health opportunities across Lanarkshire and make more use of Scotland’s outdoors as Our Natural Health Service.
Guide to Healthy Mind Healthy Weight Talks, by Dr Mira Mojee, Clinical Psychologist, May 2022
Access Healthy Weight Talks
The HMHW talks were created by Clinical Psychologists working in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Weight Management Service They are roughly 1-2 hours in length and based on the most common psychological difficulties that people may encounter in weight management.
How can they help me?
A lot of people can start to make changes and help themselves through learning more about their difficulties, through something called psychoeducation. These talks are intended to be information only, and provide self-help skills and strategies taken from evidence-based approaches to treating common psychological difficulties (such as cognitive behavioural therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and compassion-focused therapy). This might be all the support you need to feel better.
What if I need more help?
Sometimes people might need more support and guidance to make changes, or overcome their difficulties, from a mental health practitioner or psychologist. This might have been arranged for you by your weight management clinician, or if not, and you feel you need more support beyond the talks, please let your clinician know and they can speak about a referral. As the talks were made in Glasgow, on this web page are local services in NHS Lanarkshire that you can contact if you want to access further support about certain topics.
Diet & Nutrition
Eating well supports both our physical & mental health, giving us the energy to go about our days and giving us all the ingredients we need to keep us healthy.
Staying Active
Resources to support your health and wellbeing
- Clear Your Head It’s ok to not feel yourself. Clear Your Head has some great tips to help you clear your head and connect with others.
- Mind to Mind A new website hosted on NHS Inform which features over 30 videos of people talking about their own mental wellbeing challenges in order to help others who may be going through the same.
- Depression BSL These British Sign Language (BSL) videos explain the symptoms and causes of depression, how it’s treated and what you can do to manage the symptoms yourself.
- Breathing and relaxation exercises for stress (BSL) The exercises on these video are designed to help you recognise when you feel stressed and help you regain control of your own feelings and thoughts.
- Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) (BSL) These British Sign Language (BSL) videos explain the symptoms and causes of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) and how it’s treated.
Helplines
- Breathing Space: Call free on 0800 83 85 87
“Sometimes our thoughts and feelings can overwhelm us. It helps to get some Breathing Space. Pick up the phone – we’re here to listen” - Breathing Space (BSL): This British Sign Language (BSL) video explains how Breathing Space can help if you’re feeling low, depressed or anxious.
- Samaritans: Call free on 116 123 or email.
“We’re waiting for your call, Whatever you’re going through, a Samaritan will face it with you. We’re here 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.” - Shout: Text free on 85258
“Shout 85258 is a free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging support service for anyone who is struggling to cope.” - BEAT: Call free on 0808 801 0677 or open one to one webchat.
“You are never alone with your eating disorder. We are here to support people who have or are worried they have an eating disorder, as well as others affected, such as friends and family members.
