Ten Steps for Mental Health:

[Exerpted rom the CMHA's site]

1. Build Confidence.

Identify your abilities and weaknesses together, accept them

2. Eat Right, Keep Fit

A balanced diet, exercise and rest can help you to reduce stress and enjoy life.

3. Make Time for Family and Friends

These relationships need to be nurtured; if taken for granted the will not be there to share life's joys and sorrows.

4. Give and Accept Support

Friends and family relationships thrive when they are "put to the test:".

5. Create a Meaningful Budget

Financial problems cause stress. Over-spending on our "wants" instead of our "needs" is often the culprit.

6. Volunteer

Being involved in community gives a sense of purpose and satisfaction that paid work cannot.

7. Manage Stress

We all have stressors in our lives but learning how to deal with them when they threaten to overwhelm us will maintain our mental health.

8. Find Strength in Numbers

Sharing a problem with others who have hadsimilar experiences may help you find a solution and will make you feel less isolated.

9. Identify and Deal with Moods

We all need to find safe and constructive ways to express our feelings of anger, sadness, joy, and fear.

10. Learn to Be at Peace with Yourself

Get to know who you are, what makes you really happy, and learn to balance what you can and cannot change about yourself.