Sometimes, when you’re having a difficult time, doing something small can help you feel a bit better.
This page includes simple activities, ideas and tools you can try. You might connect with someone, challenge yourself to do something different, or find ways to lift your mood.
Sometimes it helps to know that people care. This message is for you from someone in St Helens. They wrote it after a difficult time to help you through yours.
Write yourConnect with someone
Use the Live Well Directory to find friendly local groups, activities and support in St Helens. Connect with others, meet new people and feel less alone.
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Writing a thank you letter has been shown to help people feel happier and more positive. Think of someone who has helped you.
Use this guide to write them a letter, note or message to say thank you. Many people find it helps them feel happier and more positive.
Think of someone who did something that made a big difference to your life, but you might not have thanked properly.
For this activity, try and choose someone who is still alive and who you can contact.
The thing they did for you doesn’t have to be something big. They may have let you stay over one night when you had no where to go, gave you good advice, or made you feel good when you felt bad. This activity is more powerful if you can do Step 2 too. If you can, try to see the person and read your letter to them. Then give them the letter to keep.
Tell them exactly why you are thankful. Answer these questions:
Be specific. Tell them what they did and how it helped you. This is your chance to say the things you might not normally say.
Reading it to the person may not be possible or feel right for everyone. Think about what feels comfortable for you. If not, writing the letter without sharing it can still help you feel better.
Reading your letter to someone can take courage. Whether you share it or not, taking the time to write it is something to be proud of.
This activity has been studied by researchers. They found that many people felt happier after writing a thank you letter, and the benefits lasted for weeks afterwards.
Our brains are good at spotting what we are looking for. If you expect something to go wrong, you may notice every little thing that seems to prove you right, while missing the things that don’t.
Automatic thoughts are quick thoughts that pop into your mind without you thinking about them. These thoughts can feel stressful, especially when they are negative.
Here is a simple way to try looking at them differently.
What am I telling myself?
“Everyone thinks I'm bad.”
What else could be true?
“I don't actually know what they're thinking.”
What's a kinder, fairer way to see it?
“I might be worrying about what people think. That doesn't mean it's true.”
Pick one small thing that might help.
"I'll have another go, or ask someone for help."
The important bit is that the new thought doesn't have to be positive. It just needs to be fairer and more useful.
What would you say to a friend if they told you their thought?
Can you say that to yourself?
It doesn’t have to be a big thing, its better if it isn’t. It is things like:
1) Write down one highlight each day for 7 days, or longer if you’d like to.
We can become very good at spotting what’s wrong. Writing down the best parts of your day helps you notice the good things too. Psychologists call this “savouring”, which means stopping to enjoy good moments for a little longer.
2) Read back over your highlights, it can help you remember that good things happen too, even when life feels hard.
Good moments can pass by quickly. Taking time to notice and enjoy them can help you feel happier, feel better about yourself and build stronger relationships with other people.
Improve your mood
When life feels hard, it can be easy to expect the worst. This activity helps you look forward to good things that might happen instead.
Thinking about positive events can help you feel more hopeful and positive..
Step 1 - Think of four good things that could happen tomorrow. They can be big or small.
● You might have something nice to eat.
● You might have a better day.
● You might have a moment of real calm.
● You might sleep a little better tomorrow night.
Step 2 - Spend a minute imagining each one happening. Think about what it would look like and how it would make you feel.
Step 3 - Tomorrow, think back and see which ones happened.
Thinking about good things that might happen tomorrow can give you something to look forward to and help you feel more hopeful.
If this page hasn't helped lift your mood, it doesn't mean you've used it wrong. Sometimes we need support from someone else, and you can find that help right now using the Crisis Help Finder.You are not alone. Stay with us. Let's find the right support together.You only need to focus on the next step, not the whole journey.
