Looking After Your Mind and Body in Southend
- Healthwatch Southend
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Mental Health Awareness Week is a chance to talk openly, take time to listen and remind people that help is available.
Your Mind and Body Work Together
As human beings, our minds and bodies are closely connected and what we feel physically can affect how we feel emotionally.
For example:
Poor sleep can affect mood.
Stress can cause headaches or stomach pain.
Long-term physical illness can affect confidence and wellbeing.
Being active outdoors can help reduce stress and anxiety.
This is why mental wellbeing advice often promotes getting active, getting enough rest and eating a healthy diet. But you do not need to do everything perfectly, small steps can help over time.
Some examples of what you could do:
Go for a short walk/Spend time in nature
Talk to someone you trust or join a social group
Take breaks from social media or the news
Reach out to local support services for help
Be kind to yourself, especially when you are having a hard time.
Southend has beautiful outdoor spaces that can help people feel calmer and more connected.
Priory Park: You can walk around the lake, sit quietly under the trees and watch birds and wildlife, enjoy the gardens and take gentle exercise at your own pace. Even a short walk in green space can help clear the mind.
Southend Seafront and Beaches: Many people find that being near water helps them feel more relaxed.
You might could walk along the seafront, sit and listen to the waves, watch the sunrise or sunset and take a mindful walk without your phone.
Getting outside does not solve every problem. But it can help people take a small break from overwhelm, giving them time to breathe and allow space away from life’s challenges.
Helpful resources:
NHS Mental Health Support
If you need urgent mental health support, call NHS 111 and choose the mental health option. If someone is in immediate danger, call 999.
People aged 18 and over can access urgent mental health support through NHS services in Essex.
Therapy for You
Therapy for You is part of NHS Talking Therapies.
They support people with anxiety and depression. You can refer yourself without seeing a GP. After an initial assessment, you will be added to a waiting list. This is not a quick fix as waiting times vary but whilst you wait you could explore local charities that offer free or low-cost support services.
You Do Not Have to Cope Alone
Many people struggle with mental health at some point in their lives, we are a listening service at our core, we want to hear your experiences of accessing Health and social care.
Whether you have been supported well or if there are gaps in the services. Everything you tell us is anonymous, we will listen and we will act to raise he voices of the people in Southend who speak to us to the people in charge of commissioning the services.
Local Healthwatch’s up and down England have for years been used to inform local council and national of inequalities and areas of need for improvement. You can submit your experience anonymously on our website
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