There are many ways we can protect our mental and emotional health. Consider the following as a start.

• Download a mindfulness app. Every day is a chance to train your mind for a happier, healthier life. One such app is called Headspace. You can even have a buddy to support you with this app.
• Find a counsellor who you feel meets your needs. There are some organisations which provide subsidized support.
• Take a day trip to a new area close by.
• Take a bus trip to an area you have not explored. Include kai for a picnic.
• Engage your creative side through art, photography on your phone, collecting and using stones in art work
• Take holidays and breaks away even if they are close to your home. Try to get away from your everyday life.
• Take a day trip to a new area.
• Start a diary to note and note your journey and record things you are concerned about. Look back to see how many concerns never eventuated.
• Join a support group with people who will understand your challenges. Family Drug Support Aotearoa New Zealand can suggest such groups if they are available in your area.
• Volunteer your time to an organisation e.g., Try Volunteer New Zealand. Volunteering makes an immeasurable difference in the lives of others. But did you know how much you help yourself by giving back? From lowering stress to boosting self-confidence, volunteering offers many health benefits. Just search the web. There are over 19 million hits for articles on how doing good helps people lead better, healthier lives.

Start reaping these mental and physical health benefits today:

1. Enjoy a sense of purpose and fulfilment—and increase your self-confidence while you’re at it!
2. Stay physically and mentally active. A study released by Johns Hopkins University in 2009 revealed that volunteers increased their brain functioning through volunteering. Volunteer activities get you moving and thinking at the same time.
3. By savouring your time spent in service to others, you’ll feel a sense of meaning and appreciation—both given and received—which can be calming. This is likely to reduce stress levels.
4. Experience “The Happiness Effect.” You know that feel-good sense you get after a walk or workout? It comes from a release of dopamine in the brain. Helping others has the same effect.