As of February 2024, 1.2 million adults were in contact with mental health services, according to NHS England.
Whether it’s dealing with loneliness in midlife, or grappling with anger, mental health problems affect us in many different ways.
Throughout Mental Health Awareness Month in May, Telegraph readers have shared how they manage their happiness by sending in an array of their mood-boosting daily habits.
Readers, some of whom have struggled with their physical and mental health, reveal the small steps they have taken to improve their overall wellbeing.
Read on for their inspirational experiences.
Philip Morgan, 66, reframed his mindset after going through a series of health challenges, including silent strokes (caused by a frontal lobe lesion), a cancer diagnosis, and young-onset vascular dementia.
“Life seemed simply hopeless,” he says. “I can now however talk about good ways to overcome hopelessness”.
Once sceptical about alternative mind and body practices, “it was all a bit woo-woo to me”, Philip found that during his recovery he “desperately needed to engage with and practice mental wellbeing.”
He focused on rewiring the paths in his brain that control automatic thought patterns and behaviours, otherwise known as increasing his neuroplasticity. Two of the small changes he made were to talk to strangers more, and practising gratitude.
“I would hate to come over as that nutter you don’t want to sit next to on the train, it’s more about striking up a conversation with people I’ve held the door open for, that sort of thing.”
While undergoing radiotherapy treatment, Philip tried to look at the positives of his situation. “It’s wonderful that the hospital staff can do something for me and haven’t sent me home because my diagnosis is beyond treatment.”
Philip has also learned to adapt to the effects of vascular dementia, including short-term memory loss. “On my bad days, I wake up and don’t know where I am or what day it is.”
He refers to his smartphone as “an extension of my brain” as it holds vital information, including his calendar events and a contact book with names and photographs. “I’ve got used to not panicking in the morning, but mentally putting all the pieces of the jigsaw together.”
Perhaps his greatest aid in life is his dog, Wilson, a “scruffy” black Scottish Terrier who shares in his conversations. “Wilson is a pal, and he knows exactly what’s going on, he gets annoyed with me and I get annoyed with him, but we understand each other really well.”
Philip takes Wilson for walks down the river near his home in Berkshire, and locals have come to recognise the duo and will happily stop to chat. “A doctor once said to me – after I bought a treadmill and didn’t use it – that a treadmill won’t wee all over your house if you don’t walk it, but a dog will.”
Dr Sophie Mort, a mental health expert at Headspace and a clinical psychologist, says: “Walking outside can help us connect with nature, which is linked to many mental health benefits. It can lower our stress levels, it can increase our subjective wellbeing and in some cases provide us with a greater sense of purpose.
“Incorporating mindfulness into our walks also enables us to reset and be present in the moment, free from unwanted thoughts and distractions. Even a short burst of 10 minutes of brisk walking can increase our mental alertness, energy and improve our mood.”
Johanne Kaas Laursen, 48, has been on early retirement since 2011 due to debilitating chronic depression.
However, in the past five years, her mental health has vastly improved, to such an extent that she no longer suffers from depression.
Based in Denmark, Johanne was studying to be a construction engineer – her fifth attempt at education, as her mental health difficulties had prevented her from completing her course.
She tried antidepressants, but they only worked in part and made her sleep “16 hours a day”, so she didn’t continue with them.
“I didn’t really get better until I started meditation, yoga, and running. Also, gardening and knitting, which are different kinds of meditation,” she explains.
Headspace’s Dr Sophie Mort says: “Starting meditation can be as simple as setting aside a few minutes each day to focus on our breath, observe our thoughts, or let go of feelings we may be holding onto. The key is consistency and finding a method that works for us.”
Spending time with her loved ones, namely her boyfriend, and being in nature – whether the beach or a forest – were also hugely beneficial to Johanne’s mental wellbeing.
“I have a small life, but it’s good now, and when I do feel depression knocking on the door, I know now how to turn it away,” she says.
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