How you feel matters

Understanding your mental health and wellbeing is key to grasping why you feel how you are feeling; which may be happy, sad, frustrated, and many other ways.

The way you feel is a big deal

Mental health refers to your emotional, psychological (that’s your mind), and social wellbeing (that’s the relationships we have and how we interact with others). It's how you think, feel, and act, and it affects how you handle situations, relate to others, and make choices.

Just like physical health, everyone has mental health that needs care and attention.

Your feelings are like the messengers for your mental health. They're signals that tell you how you're doing emotionally and psychologically. Think of them as the dashboard lights in a car - they alert you when something needs attention.

Emotions can guide your mental health and wellbeing in various ways:

• Emotions are signals: They give you clues about what's going on inside. Feeling happy or excited? That's your mind saying, "You're doing great!" Feeling stressed or upset? It's a sign that something might need your attention.

• Understanding yourself: Your feelings tell you a lot about yourself. They reflect your passions, fears, and boundaries. When you understand your emotions, you can understand yourself better.

• Mental health connection: Ignoring or suppressing feelings can impact your mental health. Just like a school backpack that gets too heavy, keeping emotions bottled up can make your journey in life harder and overwhelm you.

• Self-care and coping: Recognising your emotions helps you figure out what you need. Feeling stressed might mean you need a breather. Feeling down might mean it's time for some self-care or a chat with a friend. Understand more about self-care and how to get started.

• Building relationships: Understanding your feelings helps you connect with others. When you know how you feel, it's easier to express yourself and understand how others might be feeling too.

• Growth and learning: Emotions can teach you important life lessons. Sometimes, tough feelings come with valuable lessons—like learning resilience (how to cope when things are hard) or empathy (how others might be feeling).

Remember, it's okay to feel all sorts of emotions. They're like colours on a palette that make the painting of your life vibrant. Paying attention to how you feel is like giving yourself a regular MOT - it helps you keep going, and navigate life’s ups and downs better.

If ever you're unsure about your feelings or they're overwhelming, talking to someone you trust - like a family member, teacher, or counselor—can make a huge difference. Your feelings matter, and taking care of your mental wellbeing is one of the best things you can do for yourself.