Whether you want to understand more about how you're feeling, get information about a mental health condition or find out what support is available to you, our guides can help. If you need support with speaking to someone, start with our guide to reaching out for help.
Talking about your mental health with the people you trust is often the first step to feeling better.
Winter can be a difficult time for lots of people. The shorter days and colder weather can have a huge impact on wellbeing, and whether or not you celebrate Christmas or Hannukah, there can be a lot of pressure around the festive season.
But there are things you can do to look after yourself at this time of year.
Here are some practical tips for looking after your wellbeing this winter. We've also got lots of advice and tips in our blogs, including five reminders if you find this time of year difficult.
Christmas, Hannukah, the winter holidays and New Year for many is a joyful time for family celebration, but the pressure of the festive season can make you feel worse . There are many reasons why people might find this time of year hard. The pressure to have the ‘perfect Christmas’ or be happy throughout can be a struggle. There is also more expectation on you to spend money, socialise a lot, and eat and drink more than usual. What’s more, it can be especially hard to keep well during the colder and darker months.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a form of depression that comes and goes in a seasonal pattern, with the symptoms usually being most present during the winter. To combat it, try going for regular walks outside during the day as the light can help boost your wellbeing. If you need to stay indoors, sit by the window during daylight as much as possible. Find out more in our blog.
Amid the pressure of holiday gatherings, it can be easy to feel lonely sometimes, even if you’re surrounded by people. When you’re feeling lonely, making plans can be difficult, but it’s important to stay connected with loved ones as this can help improve your mood. Try to say yes to social events with the people you care about, even if you just go for a little while. You might find it helpful to let a friend or family member who’s also going know how you’re feeling beforehand, so you have some support while you’re there. If you’re finding social gatherings difficult, try chatting with friends and family over the phone instead, or arrange to go for a walk together. For more tips and advice, read our blog on navigating family relationships.
Everything can seem more intense during the holiday season, and this can be particularly daunting if you struggle with anxiety. Think about what is best for you during the winter season and prioritise your needs. There can be pressure to take part in lots of festive celebrations but, if you need to, take time out and make sure you plan things for yourself as well as others – remember it’s important to look after yourself during this time of year. For more tips on managing anxiety in the festive season, take a look at our blog.
Big occasions like Christmas or Hanukkah can be a painful time if you’ve lost someone important to you. On these occasions, it’s important to remember to look after yourself. If you feel things are becoming too much, make sure to give yourself time away from others. Also allow space to remember that your loved one is not there and that it’s natural to miss them. For more tips on coping with grief over the holidays, read our blog.
With rising bills and soaring energy prices, this winter might feel even tougher than usual.
If you need practical advice or financial support in the colder months, take a look at our guide to money and mental health, as well as our blog on coping with the cost of living.
The ongoing conflict in Palestine and Israel is very upsetting. Our thoughts go out to all the young people in Muslim, Jewish and Christian communities that have been impacted.
If you’ve been affected by what’s happening, or what you’ve heard in the news, you are not alone. Whether you’re worried about what you’ve read, worried about other people’s reactions, or worried about your friends and family, know that your feelings are valid.
Read the advice in our blog to help you cope and find the right support.
However you're feeling, there are people who can help you. Here are some helplines and services that can support you through this difficult time.
Provides independent, confidential and accessible support for victims and witnesses of hate crimes or discrimination.
Read information on accessibility.
Operates a specialist 24/7 support service for young people under the age of 18 called Call Hate Out.
You can report any form of hate crime through their website.
If you’re under 19 you can confidentially call, chat online or email about any problem big or small.
Sign up for a free Childline locker (real name or email address not needed) to use their free 1-2-1 counsellor chat and email support service.
Can provide a BSL interpreter if you are deaf or hearing-impaired.
Hosts online message boards where you can share your experiences, have fun and get support from other young people in similar situations.
Whatever you're going through, you can contact the Samaritans for support. N.B. This is a listening service and does not offer advice or intervention.
Shout Textline offers you free, 24/7 text messaging support, wherever you are in the UK. Text SHOUT to 85258 to start chatting to a trained volunteer.
You can also call Childline to speak to someone about how you are feeling.
If you are at immediate risk or harm, please call 999 and ask for an ambulance.
Our urgent help page has more information on who can support you in a crisis.
We all have mental health, just like we all have physical health. It’s about how we think, feel and act. Sometimes we feel well, and sometimes we don’t. When our mental health is good, we feel motivated and able to take on challenges and new experiences. But when our mental health is not so good, we can find it much harder to cope. Find out more about mental health.
We all have good days and bad days, but when negative thoughts and feelings start to affect your daily life and stop you doing the things you enjoy, or your ability to feel ok, this means you probably need some support with your mental health. For example, nearly everyone gets anxious before an exam, a job interview or a first date. But if we feel anxious all the time, constantly worrying that the worst could happen, and this stops us sleeping well or meeting up with friends, we might benefit from some help. Find out more about mental health.
We're sorry that you're going through a tough time right now, and we're with you. We have lots of advice and tips from other young people who've been there, as well as information on where you can get more support. Use our helpfinder to explore how to cope with what you're going through and how you're feeling. Remember, you are not alone and things can get better.
We provide young people with tools to look after their mental health. We empower adults to be the best support they can be to the young people in their lives. And we give young people the space to get their voices heard. Find out more about who we are and what we do.
Whether you’re struggling with how you’re feeling, you want to know more about a mental health condition or medication, we’re here for you. Search our website for advice on how to look after yourself and where and how you can get the support you need.
You can send text YM to 85258 any time to chat to someone if you're finding it hard to cope.
Follow us on Instagram @YoungMindsUK for regular mental health tips and reminders.
Take a look at our guide to support for information about how Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) work, including information on how you can get help from CAMHS, what happens at an assessment, what your rights are and more. We do not provide one-to-one support with CAMHS assessments, treatments or complaints.
We have lots of information on different mental health conditions here.
Shout offers you free, 24/7 text messaging support wherever you are in the UK. If you need someone to talk to about how you’re feeling, text SHOUT to 85258.
Please note that Shout is a separate and external organisation from YoungMinds.
We've teamed up with The Ubele Initiative, Mind and Best Beginnings to help create a space for Black young people to find support, care and joy.
The word bayo comes from Yoruba and means “joy has found us”. We chose this as the name for this platform, as we want it to be somewhere not just for Black young people to get support, but to draw strength.
As part of the campaign, we've created a list of organisations that work specifically with Black young people, including places where Black young people can get mental health support in their local community.
If you’re under 19 you can confidentially call, chat online or email about any problem big or small.
Sign up for a free Childline locker (real name or email address not needed) to use their free 1-2-1 counsellor chat and email support service.
Can provide a BSL interpreter if you are deaf or hearing-impaired.
Hosts online message boards where you can share your experiences, have fun and get support from other young people in similar situations.
Whatever you're going through, you can contact the Samaritans for support. N.B. This is a listening service and does not offer advice or intervention.
Offers online information as well as helpline support to under-25s about anything that’s troubling them.
Email support is available via their online contact form.
Free 1-2-1 webchat service and telephone helpline available.
