Looking after your physical health has a big impact on how you are feeling emotionally and mentally. At times like these, it can be easy to fall into unhealthy patterns of behaviour which in turn can make you feel worse. Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals, keep well hydrated, be active and try to avoid smoking and alcohol in excess. Following general healthy living advice such as this will support you to remain positive, strong and managing stress during these challenging times.
We've included some hints, tips and links to support you to stay physically healthy below:
Alcohol misuse is when you drink in a way that's harmful, or when you're dependent on alcohol. To keep health risks from alcohol to a low level, both men and women are advised not to regularly drink more than 14 units a week.
A unit of alcohol is 8g or 10ml of pure alcohol, which is about:
- half a pint of lower to normal-strength lager/beer/cider (ABV 3.6%)
- a single small shot measure (25ml) of spirits (25ml, ABV 40%)
A small glass (125ml, ABV 12%) of wine contains about 1.5 units of alcohol.
Find out more about alcohol units
If you are worried about your drinking and want to find out ways to cutback on your alcohol consumption, you can access support here.
If you need treatment for drug addiction, you're entitled to NHS care in the same way as anyone else who has a health problem.
With the right help and support, it's possible for you to get drug free and stay that way.
Get support and information here.
The Live Well section of the NHS website is full of information about how to live a healthier lifestyle and practice self-care. We've included some other helpful links below:
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The Eatwell guide shows how much of what we eat overall should come from each food group to achieve a healthy, balanced diet. For more practical advice, try our Nutrition information and education sessions.
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Check whether you're a healthy weight by using the BMI healthy weight calculator.
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If you are looking to lose weight, try our Food for Thought programme or Start the NHS weight loss plan, a 12-week weight loss guide that combines advice on healthier eating and physical activity. It is designed to help you lose weight safely – and keep it off!
Lots of information and resouces is availble from Better Health, Healthier Familes. The new home of Change4Life.
Healthier Families - Home - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Want to check how healthy you are and get tailored advice to support your wellbeing?
Take the How Are You quiz to see how healthy you are or you can take the online heart age test to see your risk of getting heart disease or stroke
Feeling anxious or worried can make it harder to get a good night's sleep. Good-quality sleep makes a big difference to how you feel mentally and physically, so it's important to get enough.
Get practical advice:
Menopause is a stage in life which all women will experience and usually happens between age 45 and 55, although can sometimes happen earlier due to cancer treatment or genetic reasons. The effects of menopause caused by the fluctuating changes in hormones can be challenging due to symptoms such as anxiety, low moods, brain fog, hot flushes. These symptoms can have a significant impact upon the individual as well as their relationships but can be alleviated and managed in a number of ways including thinking about nutrition, exercise, managing stress and taking medication to replace hormones (HRT). We offer a number of Menopause information and education sessions for our staff who are experiencing menopause or for those staff who want to know more to support colleagues, partners or family members.
We should do some type of physical activity every day. Any type of activity is good for you and generally the more you do, the better! There are lots of ways to be active and some options are listed below:
- Why not have a look at what's available within the Trust- Cycle to work scheme, Functional yoga class, Health and Wellbeing Centre, NHS North West Games and Weekly exercise classes
- Try the NHS Fitness studio for exercise routines you can do at home.
Why not try Couch to 5K?
Couch to 5K is a running plan for absolute beginners. Often when trying to get into exercise, we can overdo it, feel defeated and give up when we're just getting started.Couch to 5K works because it starts with a mix of running and walking to gradually build up your fitness and stamina. The plan involves 3 runs a week, with a day of rest in between, and a different schedule for each of the 9 weeks.
Being sexually intimate with a partner means you may be at risk of a sexually transmitted infection (STI), or an unplanned for pregnancy. Communicating with sexual partners is vital to protect you and your partner's sexual health. Being up to date with testing, contraception methods and seriously considering regular condom use are the best ways you can protect your health. Also talking about consent and being able to discuss your likes and dislikes in relation to sexual activity are equally as important for a safe and enjoyable sexual relationship. For more information and for details of your local sexual health service, visit www.nhs.uk/service-search/sexual-health
Stopping smoking is one of the best things you will ever do for your health. Quitting is much easier when you get the right support and there are lots of options to choose from.
Even if you’ve tried before, maybe more than once, you can still succeed. What you’ve already learned will help you reach your goal of becoming an ex-smoker.
The NHS Better Health initiative has many resources and tools to help you quit smoking. You can access the information below: