Be Aware
SHANARRI – Safe, responsible
Paying more attention to the present moment, being aware of your thoughts, feelings and surroundings can make a difference in how you feel. This is called mindfulness. Becoming more mindful can help your wellbeing and help you to de-stress.
Being stressed, low or anxious at times is normal and can be useful as these feelings can act as warning signs and tell us that we need to slow down or to be careful and think about what we are planning to do.
Being more in tune with how you are feeling can help you to recognise times when you might be feeling stressed or low. You can then take action to help yourself improve your emotional health and wellbeing, and think of things you can do to build your resilience if the situation arises again.
You don’t have to wait for signs that you need to do something to improve your wellbeing, you can build activities into your routine to help maintain your wellbeing.
Below are some things that young people in the Scottish Borders recommend to do to look after your emotional health and wellbeing, sometimes known as ‘self-care’:
- Read a book,
- have a bath,
- talk about how they feel with a parent or friends,
- take a break if something is stressing you out,
- have fun drawing,
- watch a film or a favourite series,
- or just allow your mind to wander!
Please check out a wide range of articles, videos, resources, hints and tips on how to become more aware of your mental health.
Thinking about today, use the emoji flags to mark how you are doing for ‘Be Aware’.
Don’t worry if you don’t manage to do something for all of the ‘six ways to be well’ each day. There are some ideas below that might help you to improve in this area.
If you’re struggling with some areas every day or for a number of weeks it’s a good idea to talk to a Trusted Adult. You can discuss with them ideas about what you could do and if they can support you. Check out Young Scot’s information on ‘How to Talk About Feelings’.
- 😃 Great – I’m doing well at this
- 🙂 Okay – I’m working on this but I’d like to do this more regularly or improve
- 😧 Not Good – I want to do this but I don’t know where to start
- 😐 Awful – I’m struggling with this and need some support
Find out more about the 6 Ways to Be Well.
Find loads more useful wellbeing content on the Borders Wellbeing page.